Accra, Aug. 8, GNA - A three-day workshop on gender mainstreaming in the workplace opened in Accra on Monday with a call on Trade Unions to ensure continuous commitment to activities that impacted positively on the lives of women.

Mr Demba Diop, Acting Secretary General for Organisation of African Trade Unions Unity (OATUU), said gender equality at the workplace was important to allow women to participate more effectively in making decisions on issues that affected them.

About 20 participants drawn from the affiliate Unions of the TUC, representatives of some Non-Governmental Organisations are attending the workshop, which would discuss among other things, the gender dimensions of HIV/AIDS, the informal economy and poverty reduction.

The programme is part of a joint International Labour Organisation and OATUU initiative to create awareness and sensitise the Trade Union Leadership to ensure greater accountability and commitment of mainly male trade union leadership towards gender mainstreaming.

Mr Diop lauded the Ghana Trade Union Congress's commitment to gender equality, saying it should form the basis for the successful implementation of its future national activities to improve the lives of both men and women.

He expressed the hope that the participants, who were being trained to become advocates, would help in promoting gender equalities in their various unions.

Mr Diop said OATUU would continue to use the recommendations of the workshop to enhance its activities.

Mr Newlove Atopley, Acting Secretary-General of GTUC in a speech read on his behalf by James Anquandah, Head Administration of GTUC, said the Union was committed to the transformation of gender relations and empowerment of women in participation, representation and leadership roles in Trade Unions and society at large.

He said the Union's gender policy put in place some nine years ago had enhanced gender consciousness in membership and helped to redress structural and systematic gender imbalances in the organisations as well as to allow the appointment of women into high positions.

Alberta Laryea-Djan, Head Women's Desk of GTUC, said gender equality in workplace entailed advocating for the same fundamental human and workers' rights for men and women and a fair distribution between men and women of responsibilities and opportunities.

Ghana is among the six African countries selected for the programme.