Kumasi, July 20, GNA - A two-day workshop on strategic approach to civic education for field officers of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has ended in Kumasi.

One hundred and twenty field officers drawn from ten regions attended the workshop, which was on the theme, "Sustaining Civic Education in Ghana- The Role of Women".

Organised by the NCCE with sponsorship from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the workshop was aimed at empowering women to take up leadership positions in society and to be part of the decision-making process.

The participants were taken through topics such as gender and human right issues, women in politics, report writing, advocacy skills and the role of the civic educator in the promotion of democratic governance.

Mr Larry Bimi, the Chairman of the NCCE in an address, said women constitute the majority of national population but had persistently been relegated to the background in all spheres of national endeavours. He said in as much as efforts were being made to empower women to assume key positions in society, there was the need for women to lead the campaign for gender equality by taking up challenging responsibilities perceived as the preserve for men. Mr Bimi noted that the numerous seminars and workshops aimed at propelling women to play leadership roles in national development would yield no results, if women showed no commitment in the pursuance of their empowerment.

Nana Oye Lithur, a lawyer and gender activist, called for a level playing field for women to favourably compete with their male counterparts in every given opportunity.

She condemned certain practices that tended to hinder the advancement of women in the country, saying, "As a nation let us renew our commitment to ensuring that women rights are respected". She further called on the media to promote the cause of women as a means of contributing to the campaign for gender equality in society.