Yves Nii Noi Hanson-Nortey, Member of Parliament for Tema Central, on Monday saluted Ghanaian women as the nation joins the global community to commemorate the 2021 International Women’s Day (IWD) with a call for greater gender justice.

Mr Hanson-Nortey said as the world reflect and celebrate the significant achievements of women all over the world, “we call for greater justice” noting that the world could never do away with women.

He said this in a statement made available to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Tema.

March 8, is observed annually as International Women’s Day for the celebration of women’s social, economic, cultural, and political achievements. The theme for 2021 celebration is “Choose to Challenge”.

He said “not only do they enrich our lives, they give hope to the world for a brighter and a better future and as such deserve the utmost love and respect”.

The Tema Central MP observed that it took the commitment of especially women scientist, and female health workers to maintain a safe world and to ensure a smooth recovery process worldwide, when the coronavirus pandemic hit the world.

Mr Hanson-Nortey intimated that nevertheless, the fight for gender equality had never been a smooth one, despite the remarkable progress being made 25 years after the Declaration of the Beijing Conference.

He said: “this systematic process of empowering women and placing them at positions of power, where important decisions are made, has been stalled or even reversed”.

According to him, a recent data from the United Nation’s Secretary General showed that women were Heads of State in 22 countries and formed only 24.9 per cent of national parliamentarians worldwide.

He added that in Ghana, out of the 275 parliamentary seats, women occupy 40 seats representing approximately 15 per cent, this he said fell short of the 30 per cent representation sought by the United Nations, and the 1995 Declaration of the Beijing Conference even though Ghana s female population was around 51 per cent.