Accra, Nov. 1, GNA - Mrs Gifty Kusi, New Patriotic Party (NPP) member for Tarkwa Nsuaem Constituency, on Tuesday said a full recognition of women's role in rural development would greatly contribute to rural prosperity and sustain development in such areas. She said women had been invisible workforce in rural societies, especially in terms of their contributions to farming, adding; "too little has been done to fully recognise women's role on farms and rural communities..." she said a in a statement to Parliament to mark Rural Women's Day celebrated on October 15.

The MP said: "Rural women the world over play a major role in ensuring food security and in the development and stability of the rural areas. Yet, with little or no status, they frequently lack the power to secure land rights or access vital services such as credit, inputs, extension, training and education.

"Their vital contribution to society goes largely unnoticed. The purpose of Rural Women's Day is to change this by brining rural women out of obscurity, at least once a year, to remind society how much they owe to rural women and give value and credit to their work," she said. Mr Haruna Iddrisu, National Democratic Congress (NDC)-Tamale South, said women were crucial in population control, nutrition and the development of children and there was the need, therefore, to seriously promote girls' education.

Mr Kwame Osei-Prempeh, NPP-Nsuta-Kwamang Beposo, said women were usually the ones who shouldered so much of the family burden in addition to numerous household chores.

He said there was the need to educate the men folk so that they would see women as partners by offering them support to enable them to live happy lives.

Mr Abdul Rashid Pelpuo, NDC-Wa Central, said there was the need for a decisive action to be taken on the plight of rural women and urged the legislators to help to formulate policies and laws that would help address the situation.