Female genital mutilation (FGM) cannot be justified in any way and the state has a responsibility to ensure that women were treated with dignity and empowered sufficiently, the Upper East Regional Minister, Mahami Salifu said on Tuesday.

Mr Salifu, who was speaking at a two-day workshop on FGM in Bolgatanga, said the government would do all it could to enforce the existing laws on FGM and support proposals for its amendment.

The Regional Minister called for the formation of women's clubs in the urban and rural areas to create awareness about the dangers of FGM.

Mr Salifu urged women to come out in their numbers to participate in politics and other functions that would make their voices to be heard.

Giving an overview of GAWW's activities, the president of the association, Mrs Florence Ali, said cultural practices that were harmful to women and children were the main concern of GAWW.

Mrs Ali said GAWW was one of 26 national committees of the inter-African committee on harmful traditional practices and that its objective was to identify traditional practices in Ghana that affect the health of women and children.

The workshop, which aims at putting up proposals for the amendment of the law on FGM, was organised by the Ghana Association of Women's Welfare (GAWW) and attended by over 50 participants from the Northern regions.