Some men unknowingly boast of being created first by God before women, but this action was never taken for nothing. God deliberately used Adam as a sketch or rough draft in order to come out with the final masterpiece, that is, the woman, in this case, Eve.

It is therefore, not by an accident that women are unique and precious. Apart from being the gateway to the world, women are the epitome of tenderness, care and wisdom. Men who, no matter the circumstances, beat their wives and girlfriends must be condemned on no uncertain terms and must change for the better from today.

In Ghana and other parts of the world, women's contribution to nation building cannot be downplayed. This could be seen in all sectors of the Ghanaian economy – agriculture, health, education, public service, trade, among others.

One wonders why our women continue to face discrimination, abuses and prejudice in this modern era despite the higher percentage of women as against men in population, not forgetting their contributions to nation-building?

This unfortunate situation therefore calls for more pragmatic policies geared towards gender equality in all spheres of life so that the livelihood of the Ghanaian woman could be improved. In his Inaugural Address in June 2000, at the UN Session in Beijing, our own Kofi Annan who was the then UN Secretary General remarked; “The future of this planet depends on women”. What Mr. Annan meant was that, without women, development and the survival of the human race will remain elusive.

In the light of the revelations above, it would be ideal if all stakeholders, especially the various political parties in Ghana put measures down to ensure that the welfare and empowerment of the Ghanaian woman, feature prominently in their plans, policies and programmes.

Whilst celebrating their Day today, it is imperative we all join our women to make their Day a wonderful one. They have nurtured us right from infancy and made us what we are today. We are so grateful to our dear mothers, wives, nieces, and daughters.

On behalf of men, I wish all our women, especially my mum, Ama Pokuaa, my wife Nana Ama Owusua Agyeman, my lovely daughters, my big sisters - Irene Ponu-Brenyah, Obaa Yaa, Madam Suzzy (all in the UK), Awurakua of US, sister Ama of Belgium, a Happy Mothers' Day! A special one also goes to all Ghanaian women who campaigned and voted massively for the NPP in Election 2016, especially those of Patriotic Ambassadors for Peace (PAP).

May Allah, The Most Gracious, Ever Merciful bless you all!