Kumasi, Nov.17, GNA - Blind Women in the country has called on the government and other benevolent organizations to extend financial support to them to enable them to improve on their socio-economic status.

Madam Cecilia Batholomew, National President of the Women's Wing of the Ghana Blind Association made the call particularly to the First Lady, Mrs. Theresa Kufuor to extend the support being offered by her civil society organization to the members of the Wing to undertake economic ventures.

She made the call at the Annual Forum of the Women's Wing of the Association in Kumasi on Friday.

The forum was held under the theme; "The Role of Women's Ministry towards the blind and partially sighted Women and Girls at Ghana @50". It was sponsored by the Disabled People's Organization of Denmark and brought together 35 blind women drawn from all over the country to brainstorm and discuss issues affecting their welfare and development. Madam Batholomew pointed out that, women, including the blind contribute immensely to the socio-economic development of the country and should therefore not be discriminated against in any way. She expressed dissatisfaction about the attitude of some prominent people who refuse to attend programmes organized by the blind and said that behaviour made the blind not accepted in the society. Miss Alice Botchway, Ashanti Regional director of the Department of Women assured the members that the Ministry of Women's and Children's Affairs was providing micro-financial assistance to all women groups in the country, including blind women.

She asked the members to identify some of their members who have excelled in their fields of endeavour and send their names to be included in the women achievers of the country.

Mr. Yaw Ofori Debrah, National President of the Ghana Blind Association appealed to the district assemblies to assist disable persons in their areas to prepare project proposals to enable them to obtain the two per cent allocated to them from the District Assembly Common Fund (DACF).