Accra, March 27, GNA - Ms Akua Sena Dansua, Minister of Women and Children's Affairs (MOWAC), on Friday appealed to the Chinese government to extend support to Ghana in the area of agro-processing equipment, ICT and scholarships for the youth and staff of the ministry. She said this would go a long way to improve the performance of women and children in education and processing of their goods to improve their livelihood.

The Minister made the appeal on Friday when Mr Yu Wenzhe, Chinese Ambassador in Ghana, paid a courtesy call on her at her office. Ms Dansua, noting that women constituted about 51 per cent of the population and children were 31 per cent, said these groups were considered vulnerable to a number of challenges including security, health, education and economic advancements, and they therefore, needed much support and attention in order to realize their full potentials. She said though MOWAC had in place numerous policies and programmes geared towards ensuring quality livelihood for women and children, it still needed collaborators in various areas to provide the type to quality that would also promote national development. Ms Dansua said as China was considered a leader in ICT, it could support Ghanaian children in areas such as provision of e-toys and other ICT learning gadgets to help sharpen their skills and make them abreast with international standards.

She commended the Chinese government for its support for Ghana in areas of road and building construction and skill enhancement programmes and asked that the cordial relationship between the two countries should be improved.

She presented copies of the Ministry's policies and programmes as well as some laws and conventions on the Rights of Children to the Ambassador as an invitation to partner with MOWAC to promote the welfare of women and children.

Mr Yu pledged China's continuous support for Ghana and said the Embassy would continue in its small way to assist MOWAC in micro-financing various programmes and projects. He urged the Minister to maintain her active role as a member of the Ghana-China Association, which is made up of Parliamentarians aimed at maintaining and sharing ideas and interests in the economics, social and cultural areas.