Accra, March 7, GNA - University Students Association of Ghana (USAG) on the occasion of the International Women's Day congratulates all women and gender activists in Ghana and calls for the enactment of the Domestic Violence Bill.

A statement signed by Ms Jamila Isa Munkaila, Women's Commissioner of USAG, said: "USAG shares in the progress made so far in relation to the current state of gender awareness created by some notable organisations in the country."

It also congratulated the Women Caucus in Parliament for their present state of unity and asked them; "to rise beyond all odds to unify all pockets of gender organisations under one umbrella". The statement said if gender organisations failed to come under one umbrella to push forward their agenda, a lot of challenges that women went through would not be an issue of the past.

It said a clear example of that was the Domestic Violence Bill and its passage, which remained not passed.

USAG called on the Government, Women Caucus in Parliament, Ministry of Women and Children Affairs and all gender organisations to work assiduously together to ensure the passage of the Domestic Violence Bill.

It proposed that "a date be set aside for the celebration of our heroines and also in recognition of the contribution of women in the development of our mother Ghana".

USAG asked the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs to try through various student organisations to get to competent women in various universities and encourage them to take up leadership roles. The statement said as "a beacon of hope has finally been lit by Mrs Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf of Liberia; we believe that Ghanaian women with potential could replicate what she has done."