In the Holy Bible, it is stated that God created man before a woman. Many people still do not understand why God took this action but I believe He might have used man as a rough draft (sketch) before coming out with the final masterpiece, in this case the woman. This clearly shows how unique and precious women are as far as God's creators are concerned. Probably, people who beat women, especially their wives and girl friends might be unaware of this, but it must be pointed out to them that, a woman is the epitome of tenderness, care and wisdom.

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

One therefore 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. For instance, the 2010 Population and Housing Census in Ghana puts our women population at 51.3% as against 48.7% of men.

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”. The implication is that without women, development and the survival of the human race will remain elusive.

The onus therefore lies on all stakeholders, especially the various political parties in Ghana to ensure that the welfare and empowerment of the Ghanaian woman feature prominently in their plans, policies and programmes. The clandestine introduction of 'Cash and Carry' in the Health sector by the current government, the high increase in transport fares, school fees, and destruction of several market centres in the country have all contributed to the deterioration of women's welfare. Our women would be happy to see the re-introduction of free maternal care, efficient national health insurance scheme, accessible and affordable loans and equal opportunities.

In celebrating their Day today, it is imperative we all join our women to make their Day a wonderful one. Our mothers have nurtured us right from infancy and made us what we are today. Let's show our sincere gratitude to our dear mothers, wives, nieces, and daughters.

Whilst we ask for God's blessings and protection for them, we shouldn't forget to give our maximum respect, love, care, and support to our women. For those who still see their mums as witches, and thus refuse to take good care of them, God should touch their hearts and minds for them to realise that, Mother's Love is incomparable to any love in this world, for it is sweeter and everlasting.

On behalf of Patriotic Ambassadors for Peace (PAP), I wish all our women, a Happy Mothers' Day!

Katakyie Kwame Opoku Agyemang,
Asante Bekwai-Asakyiri