International Women's Day: Women, the change makers

Women took the front seat of activities across the country yesterday as Ghana joined the rest of the world to mark this year’s International Women’s Day (IWD).

Commemorated on the theme: “Invest in women: Accelerate progress”, sub-themes across a range of events touted women’s general importance to development and their place as stakeholders in national and international affairs.

From politics to civil service, sports to entertainment, business and entrepreneurship to academics, women have come to symbolise the emerging force of human resources, producing global icons in all fields of human endeavour.

In Ghana, various organisations and groups held fora, symposia, workshops and even health walks to celebrate women for their achievements, hard work and outstanding contributions to the growth and development of society and the improvement in the lives of the citizenry.

The events centred on issues that bordered on women’s rights, health, culture, gender equality, discrimination, welfare, education, work and politics, violence and abuse, among others.
International Women’s Day is celebrated on March 8 every year by the United Nations to, among other things, provide education and highlight issues of concern, celebrate achievements and mobilise political will and resources to address problems.

Graphic MD

The Managing Director of Graphic Communications Group Ltd (GCGL), Ato Afful, advised women to "encourage each other to succeed", reports Florence Asamoah.

Mr Afful gave the advice yesterday at the International Women's Day celebration organised by the Local Union Women's Chapter in collaboration with The Mirror on the theme, "Investing in Women: Accelerating Growth".

He urged women to support one another and provide mutual support by creating opportunities for their advancement.

"Women should be deliberate about supporting one another," he stated.

Catherine Afeku

The Head of Strategic Communication, African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), Catherine Abelema Afeku, has challenged women to defy societal expectations and forge paths that are  reserved for only men, Joshua Bediako Koomson reports.

She said women had the unique opportunity to be change-making forces and, therefore, they must embrace that potential by cultivating a mindset of empowerment and challenging societal expectations.

“Women are the change makers so I implore every woman to dream big, set ambitious goals and never be afraid to pursue your passion with unwavering determination,” Ms Afeku said.

She was speaking at an event to commemorate the International Women’s Day at the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) yesterday.

The event, which was organised by the Women's Association of UPSA (WAUPSA), in collaboration with UPSA  Students Representative Council, was on the theme; “Rewriting Ghana’s History; the Role of the Ghanaian Woman - Yes She Can.”

It brought together women who had excelled in their various fields to share their stories with the students, particularly females, and also give them some words of encouragement.

Determination 

Ms Afeku said as the world marked the International Women’s Day, women should be more determined to rewrite the narrative by letting their voices be heard and their actions be seen.

“Together, we can rewrite Ghana’s history and ensure that future generations inherit a nation where Ghanaian women are not only recognised but celebrated for the powerful and change-making forces that they truly are,” she said. 

He also challenged women to strive to take up leadership and other management responsibilities in the company.

At an event organised by the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) in Accra, various speakers called for more deliberate efforts to be put in place to protect and empower women, reports Dickson Worlanyo Dotse. 

The GRNMA said women had been culturally and historically proven to be the backbone of society, especially in Africa, hence the need to empower them to achieve more could not be overemphasised. 

The speakers were human rights lawyer and activist, Nana Oye Bampoe Addo; Director General of Defence Civilian Establishment of the Ghana Armed Forces, Brigadier General Anita Asmah; President of the GRNMA, Perpetual Ofori-Ampofo, and the Director of Tobacco and Substance of Abuse Directorate of the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), Dr Olivia Boateng,

Ms Addo, a former Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, used several African proverbs which suggested that women were of a lower class than men to highlight how some cultural practices had reinforced stereotypes and discrimination against women to the detriment of their self-esteem. 

She called for the establishment of mental health centres and an increase in availability and accessibility to the servers of clinical psychologists to help women underwent trauma from domestic violence and other gender-based abuses. 

Brigadier General Asmah intimated that women, particularly nurses who were mostly women, were integral to national development. 

She said no sector of the economy could function properly in the absence of women and, therefore, encouraged women to always hold their heads high irrespective of the situation they found themselves in. 

Ms Ofori-Ampofo urged all women to be leaders in their respective fields and personal spaces.

She said as there were ever-increasing calls for more women to be included in the governance and decision-making processes, women should psyche themselves as leaders. 

Dr Boateng said supporting women was not only a moral imperative but also an economic requirement because it was widely accepted that investing in women contributed significantly to the advancement of societies and the entire economy. 

CTEVT

The Commission for Technical, Vocational and Education Training (CTEVT) also joined the IWD celebration with a call on young girls and women in the technical industry to prioritise upgrading their skills to remain relevant in the industry, Juliet Akyaa Safo and Mary Owusu Asamoah report.

It explained that although acquiring technical skills was in the right direction, skills development and career advancement were crucial in the current technological era.

At an event dubbed: “My TVET, My Skills, My Future” in Accra, the Director General of CTVET, Dr Fred Kyei Asamoah, encouraged young girls to venture into TVET to benefit from the numerous opportunities in the technical industry.

From Kumasi, Emmanuel Baah reports that a former Vice-Chancellor of the Koforidua Technical University, Professor Smile Gavua Dzisi, implored the government to adequately invest in women as far as the development of the country was concerned.

She said resourcing women and girls, as well as ensuring their rights across all aspects of life, was key to securing prosperous and just economies. 

Prof. Dzisi made the appeal in an address at an event organised by SEND-Ghana, a policy research and advocacy civil society organisation, in partnership with I Believe Global, an NGO, and was hosted by the Kumasi Technical University (KsTU) to commemorate the 2024 IWD in Kumasi.
The ceremony was dominated by performances, including poetry recitals and music which highlighted women's empowerment.

As part of the programme, a panel discussion moderated by Dr Emmanuel Ayifah, the Deputy Country Director, SEND-Ghana, engaged some key players who acknowledged the need for the government to consider distributing free sanitary pads to young schoolgirls.

As part of the IWD, members of the Ghana Armed Forces embarked on a health walk to create awareness of women's issues.

PPAG

At a similar event held in Accra by the Planned Parenthood Association of Ghana (PPAG) to mark the day, panellists called on women to be strong advocates of their development and work towards a society where gender equality was not just an idea, but a lived reality, Mary Anane Amponsah reports.

They indicated that women played a major role in the development of the country and, therefore, needed to be supported to improve on the investment society made in them.

The panellists included a Ghanaian businesswoman and the former CEO of the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC), Mawuena Adzo Trebarh, a broadcast journalist with the Multimedia Group, Kojo Yankson, a legal practitioner, Naa Amerley Croffie, and the Gender Chairperson of the Ghana Federation for Disability Organisation, Martha Coffie.

Speaking on the theme: “Invest in Women: Accelerate Growth, the panellists observed that when women were empowered, economies flourished, businesses thrived and communities prospered. 

They maintained that there was the need for all to help break barriers that hindered the progress of women and embrace a future where every woman had the opportunity to contribute to her fullest potential.

ASA Savings

In Accra, Maclean Kwofi reports that ASA Savings and Loans joined the rest of the world to mark another International Women's Day with a call on the government and the citizenry to support  women to take up leadership roles at all levels in the country. 

The Human Resources Manager of the company, Eunice Boadu, who made the call, explained that it was time to change the status quo with the provision of enhanced opportunities deliberately targeting women to help them pursue leadership roles.

For instance, she said the selection of Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang as the running mate for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for the second time must inspire young women to get involved in the development process of the country in their capacity as leaders.

Ghana Immigration Service

The Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) collaborated with the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) to celebrate International Women’s Day in Accra yesterday, Audrey Occansey Agbeko & Samuel Ohene Ewur report. 

The event, which was part of the Strengthening Border Security (SBS) project, was organised by the Gender Mainstreaming Unit (GMU) of the GIS.

On the theme: “Inspire Inclusion, Invest in Women (The Contribution of Women in Border Management)”, the programme was chaired by the Head of Operations Secretariat of the GIS, DCOI Maud A. Quainoo, to empower female officers while advocating gender mainstreaming in border security efforts. 

ICPMD perspective 

The Director for Migration Dialogues and Cooperation for ICMPD, Ms. Sedef Dearing, called for more work to be done in mainstreaming, especially in the security forces. 

“Gender equality is vital for a prosperous and peaceful society. There is still significant work to be done to achieve the goal of gender equality in society,” she added.

The Project Manager of the SBS project, Ms Iulia Jolley-Socea, revealed that women formed the greater part of human trafficking victims. 

She also called on policymakers and advocates of gender mainstreaming to enforce policies and ensure their effectiveness. 

“Gender mainstreaming policy without action is just a document. There is the need to act on policies to ensure that women are included in our sectors, especially in our immigration sector,” she said.

Invest in women

The Chief Executive Officer of Geagle Training Institute, Eugenia Agyeiwaa Boadi, who was a resource person at the event, urged all sectors in the country to invest in women's inclusion and women's education. 

She also urged institutions to appreciate the competence of women rather than see it as a threat. 

“Institutions in the country should consciously include women based on their unique perspectives. Also, women should be given opportunities based on their strengths and not just because there is a call for gender mainstreaming,” she stated.

Appreciating Women in Border Management

For his part, the Deputy Comptroller General Finance and Administration, DCOI Isaac Owusu Mensah, praised the efforts of women who had contributed to strengthening the country’s borders. 

“Women contribute significantly to border patrols, surveillance operations to detect and deter security threats and prevent illegal activities such as smuggling, trafficking and illegal migration,” he emphasised.