Tema, Feb. 22, GNA - Mrs Juliana Azumah-Mensah, Minister of Women and Children's Affairs (MOWAC) has urged women to contest the forthcoming district assembly elections but be circumspect in their campaign utterances. She said women who would participate in the election should endeavour to be less confrontational during the campaign period. Mrs Azumah-Mensah made the call in a speech read for her at the joint inauguration of six branches of the Progressive Women and Youth Association, a non-governmental organization in the Tema Metropolis and the Ashaiman Municipality.

The Team Metropolis branches came from Tema Main, Tema New Town and the Tema Fishing Harbour while the Ashaiman Municipality branches were from Ashaiman Zongo Caucus, Asensu Bec and Zenu Jerusalem. She was optimistic that after the election, more women would emerge winners and assume leadership positions to enable them to contribute to national development.

On the Domestic Violence Law, (Act 723) of 2007, Mrs Azumah-Mensah said a National Plan of Action has been drawn up to assist law enforcement agencies to implement it. She said everything would be possible done to operationalize the Domestic Violence Act.

She urged women to inculcate a high sense of morality in their children and also to invest in their education.

For instance she asked women to show keen interest in the sort of dress their children wore and noted as regrettable that these days some youth dressed indecently without a sense of shame. Lieutenant Colonel John Sharpe (retired), Patron of the Association, advised members to eschew divisive and negative tendencies such as envy, rancour and back-biting in order to forge ahead in unity and love to achieve their set goals.

Lt-Col Sharpe, who is also the Chairperson of the Ablekuma North Council of Elders, stressed the need to equip the teeming youth with employable skills to make them self-reliant and sufficient. Mr Robert Kempes Papa Nii Ofosuware, Mayor of Tema, whose address was also read for him said women empowerment and issues concerning the vulnerable were critical to the National Democratic Congress government's vision for a better Ghana.

Nii Adjei Kraku II, Tema Mantse, urged members to diversify their income-generating activities so as to produce enough to feed the nation and also support the association financially. Madam Olivia Zag, Founder of the Association, urged women to unite in order to tackle common issues with a united front. She said branches in the Volta, Northern, and Eastern Regions would soon be inaugurated to enable members fight a common course to better their lot. 22 Feb. 10