Kumasi, Aug 3, GNA - Lady Julia Osei Tutu, wife of the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has charged women to acquire skills that will raise their status.

The acquisition of skills, she said, will also make them a strong force to reckon with in decisions that affect their well-being. Lady Julia was addressing participants at the 26th annual conference of the Ghana Congress of Evangelisation (GHACOE) Women's Ministry in Kumasi at the weekend.

The conference had as its theme, "Be conformed to the image of Christ" and was aimed at assessing the performance of the ministry in women evangelisation and draw up comprehensive programmes in the training of women to acquire employable skills.

She said women empowerment was very crucial to the nation's development since women constituted about half of the country's population, adding that all efforts should therefore, be made to get women educated to acquire employable skills for them to play their roles better.

Lady Julia expressed dissatisfaction with the vulnerability of women in the society in spite of societal changes and attributed this to lack of education and employable skills.

This has created a situation where women are not self-reliant and continue to depend on others for survival, she pointed out. "I therefore, urge all women to endeavour to get the requisite training to raise their self-esteem so as to present a strong force in all decision making".

Mr Sampson Kwaku Boafo, Ashanti Regional Minister, in a speech read on his behalf, commended the ministry for its commitment to the empowerment of women both spiritually and physically.

The Reverend Charlotte Addo, National Director of the Ministry, said it had taken upon itself to educate and train commercial sex workers to become self-reliant so as to stop their practice.

She charged young girls to be God-fearing and abstain from pre-marital sex and other vices that could jeopardise their future.