The Upper East Regional Women’s Wing of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has called on governments and state agencies to expedite action on women friendly policies to eliminate gender-based barriers that prevent women from realising their potential.

In a statement issued and copied to the GNA in Bolgatanga to commemorate International Women’s Day, Madam Georgina Ayamba, the Regional Women’s Organizer of the NPP said swift action was needed to accelerate gender equality

The Day, which is observed annually on March 8, is aimed to eliminate discrimination against women worldwide, and to help women gain full and equal participation in global development.

This year’s International Women’s Day is observed on the theme: “I am generation equality: Realizing Women’s Rights.”

The Women’s Organizer noted that “In spite of the herculean task and challenges women go through daily, the survival of happy homes and successful countries is dependent on the critical roles women play in their societies.”

Madam Ayamba said it was important for women to work together in synergy to challenge gender norms, break stereotypes, reject the binary and empower themselves through active mobilization and decision making to celebrate diversity.

According to her, the NPP government remained committed through its pro-poor programmes and policies tailored at women to address gender inequality, and said “the Free Senior High School programme by government has drastically reduced the financial burden particularly on women.”

She said the programme afforded thousands of female children access to secondary education.

Under the planting for food and jobs, over 20,000 rural women in the Upper East Region have benefited from subsidized fertilizer and other farming inputs that had increased their farm yields and enhanced their livelihoods, she said.

“We hope to expand this to cover more rural women in the coming farming season”.

She said the purchase and distribution of ambulances by government to all constituencies across the country would significantly reduce maternal mortality in the Region and prevent maternal deaths.

Madam Ayamba added that the reservation of 30 per cent political appointments for women at the central and decentralized government structures for inclusive governance was evidence of women empowerment in all spheres of life.

She said the NPP government remained resolute in the economic and political emancipation of women.

“Let me use this opportunity to admonish women particularly in rural communities to rebel against child marriage and violence against women by discouraging the act and reporting perpetrators of such crime to the police for swift action,” she said.