Tamale, Oct 29, GNA - Hajia Alima Mahama, Minister of Women and Children's Affairs has held that gender discrimination and inequality were factors that fuelled violence against women in the country. She said this practice did not only take away the civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights of women but also serve as an obstacle to the realization of sustainable development in the country. Hajia Mahama made the observation in a speech read on her behalf at a consultative workshop for women representatives from religious organisations in the Northern, Upper East and Upper West Regions in Tamale on Saturday.

The workshop was on the theme: "The gender challenges and development-The rights and responsibilities of the woman in contemporary times".

The Tamale Ecclesiastical Province Pastoral Conference (TEPPCON) Commission for the Promotion of the Dignity of Women, a Catholic agency organised the workshop with sponsorship from Christa Magoley, a German charity.

Hajia Mahama said due to gender inequality, direct and indirect discrimination and threats or violence, prescribed what and how women and the girl-child should live their lives and this was impacting negatively on society.

She said despite the government's efforts at developing the human resource base of the country, the gaps and lapses in gender roles were still not realised as women responsibilities were given much more emphasis than their rights.

Alhaji Mustapha Ali Idris, Northern Regional Minister, said it was imperative that women play th eir role and assume their posture in the national scheme of things.

He said it was unacceptable for the country to fail to appreciate the gender factor in national development, pointing out that such a failure could lead to distortions and unbalanced growth. "Our greatest challenge now should be how to balance the gender equation and ensure that national resources and development to benefit women to realise their full potential", he said.

Alhaji Idris urged women to position themselves to take greater share of the challenges by spearheading the collapse of the barriers of illiteracy, ignorance, disease, poverty and diffidence. "The gender equity scale will tilt in favour of women only if women achieve equality and recognition by dint of qualification and hard work and not through sympathy", he said.

Mr Bjarne Perdersen, a Programme Officer of Ibis Ghana, a Danish non-governmental body, said the exclusive of women participation in politics was not only morally wrong but also highly unwise. He said if women were not participating, the political process would be crippled because it would lack the views, insight, knowledge and wisdom of the one-half of the population.

He said the full and complete development of a country, the welfare of the world and the cause of peace, required the maximum participation of women on equal terms with men in all fields of human endeavours. Madam Agnes Gandaa, Secretary of the Commission, commended the government for appointing six women as Chief Directors in the Ministries recently and urged the government to come out with a document on women issues to help deal with women matters appropriately. She called for active collaboration between the government agencies and the church to provide the basic needs for women, especially the rural women and the girl-child. 29 Oct. 06