GRIDCo Ladies discuss gender gaps in the energy sector
A gender sensitisation workshop to mainstream gender concerns into energy issues in the country has ended in Tema.
Advertisement
The workshop was held for GRIDCo Ladies (GRIDLASS) by the Gender and Energy Network (GEDA,GH), a local non-governmental organisation.
Addressing the workshop, the National Focus Person of GEDA, GH, Dr (Mrs ) Sabina Anokye Mensah, explained that the programme was to identify gender gaps in the energy sector relating to poverty to make gender and energy issues visible to a wider audience.
She said the objective of the workshop was to also identify linkages between gender and energy for a sustainable development.
Dr (Mrs ) Anokye Mensah said women must venture into men-dominated areas and prove their status as women because societal roles could be changed to enhance productivity and development, adding that “once the men understand our views, we have conquered them to bring what they have on board.”
She, therefore, called on the GRIDLASS and women in general to build their gender base by bringing the men closer to form part of the gender policy agenda.
She noted that some of the major challenges hindering gender mainstreaming included the lack of gender disaggregated data and inadequate stakeholder consultation in programme and policy development.
She said the World Health Organisation (WHO) had estimated indoor air pollution, which was as a result of the use of firewood, as a major public health issue.
Dr (Mrs ) Anokye Mensah cited pneumonia, chronic respiratory diseases and lung cancer as some of the effects of the use of inferior energy like firewood.
She said women in the rural areas, for example, had not had the benefits of energy at their levels, and called on the GRIDLASS to seek budgetary allocation to organise forums to extend the education to women and children, including men and boys.
The Director, Human Resource GRIDCo, Mr Samuel Allotey, in his remarks, said culture had affected the roles of women, preventing them from reaping the full benefits of being women.
He, therefore, proposed that some affirmative actions should be taken to address the situation, revealing that some positive steps had, however, been taken in the last 20 years.
There was also a forum on the need to prepare one’s will while alive to prevent disagreements after their demise.
A legal practitioner, Ms Juliana Addo–Yobo, who took the GRIDCo Ladies through the various stages in the preparations of wills, advised them to appoint professionals to prepare their wills for them to ensure that they were genuine.
The President of GRIDLASS, Mrs Rosina Amuah, expressed gratitude to the team from GEDA, GH for affording women workers of GRIDCo the opportunity to have insight into what went on in the gender and energy sector of the country.