Professor Agnes Apusigah, Dean of the Faculty of Education, University for Development Studies, (UDS) has advocated the institutionalization of Gender Studies in the various tertiary institutions in the country.

This, she noted, would help shape Gender Studies as well as enhance its development and growth.

Prof Apusigah said this at a public lecture organized by the University of Cape Coast Centre for Gender Research, Advocacy and Documentation in Cape Coast on Tuesday.

The lecture, chaired by the Vice Chancellor of UCC, Prof Domwini Dabire Kuupole, and attended by students, lecturers, professors and a cross section of the public, was on the theme “Gender Studies in Ghana, Where are we now.”

Prof. Apusigah pointed out that Gender Studies has gone through a number of evolutions both in the developed and developing countries and called for the building of a strong feminist institution to enhance gender studies and change.

She said “gender studies emerged in response to the need for data and evidence for the analysis and understanding of the socio-economic system which has remained largely gendered.

“Gender inequalities in education, politics, economic, and health systems among others continue to draw analysis of various forms.”

Prof Apusigah further stated that having emerged from efforts to build capacities for informed programming and institutional responses to gender issues, Gender studies was steadily gaining grounds and owning space in both the scholarly academia and development practice as a legitimate area of study.

She said despite the many years of research and documentations on gender studies, people still viewed it as women studies, and stressed that it was not only about women but a cross multidisciplinary concept which addressed the needs of both men and women.

Prof Kuupole, who presided, pointed out that with the evolution of Gender studies, the nation had a long way to go and called on all universities to at least create gender centres as a starting point.

Prof. Apusigah, who is an Associate Professor of Cultural and Gender studies at UDS holds a PhD from the Queen’s University, Kingston Canada.

Her research work focused on the Political Economy of African Development, Educational Reform and Policy, Indigenous studies and gender /women studies as well as Civil society legitimation and public policy in Ghana, cultural values and sustainable development in Africa.