Regional News of Thursday, 31 July 2003

Source: GNA

Workshop on Women Empowerment held at Techiman

Techiman (B/A), July 31, GNA- Mr Pierre Kwabena Ankomah, Techiman District Director of National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has spoken against gender imbalance in both public and private sectors despite years of public education on gender equity.

He noted that lack of recognition for women in high positions in Ghana affects the country's development.

Mr Ankomah was addressing a two-day workshop on women's empowerment organized by the National Council on Women and Development (NCWD) and Action Aid, an NGO at Techiman in Brong Ahafo.

Thirty-five Assembly Women from Techiman, Wenchi, Sene, Nkoranza, Kintampo and Atebubu Districts attended.

Mr Ankomah who spoke on "Gender analysis in the local government system" described women representation in the District Assemblies at the workshop as negligible.

He said "if women constitute about 51 per cent of the population of Ghana and are not given the needed representation, women, therefore, must fight for a constitutional right to get them involved in decision making".

Mr Kwasi Asante-Boateng, Techiman District Director of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), who spoke on "Women and fundamental human rights", noted that cultural and social values had overshadowed women's rights in the society.

Ms. Juliana Amponsah, Regional Coordinator of NCWD asked women to be proactive in creating awareness in their communities.