A former first lady of Ghana, Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings has urged women in Ghana to come together and fight against all forms of gender base abuse in the society.
Nana Konadu said it is only when women come together that they can fight gender discrimination in the society and challenge young female to empower their minds for their rights.
Addressing students of the University for Development Studies in Tamale women’s week celebration at UDS Sagnarigu Dung campus said, though women had overcome serious challenges, there is still more works for women activities do, to free them from injustices in the society.
She expressed regret that, after 20 years of Beijing declaration, majority of Ghanaian women still faces injustices.
Young women around the world according to Mrs Rawlings continue to be abuse. She expressed her disappointment that after dedicating her life for over 30 years in advocating women rights such practices still exists in the Ghanaian society.
The former first lady was speaking on the Topic; ’’Empowering today’s Women for Excellence’’
She urged young female in Ghana to red wide in order to become confidence and take strong stands against gender base violence against women the society.
The celebration of UDS women week coincided with 20th anniversary of Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, which today is the most dynamic and progressive blueprint on advancement of women empowerment process.
It was in Beijing where 17,000 participants and 30, 000 women’s rights activities assembled under one voice, calling for ’’the advancement of women and the removal of all obstacles to women’s active participation in all spheres of public and private life through a full and equal share in economic, social, cultural and political decision making’’ because the empowerment of women and men are prerequisite for achieving political, social, economic, cultural and environmental security among all peoples’’ ( Beijing Declaration).
Twenty years after Beijing declaration, Nana Konadu noted that, many countries have transformed the dynamism of Beijing into laws and acts that protect the rights of women and children.
Nana Konadu who is also the founder of the 31st December women movement in Ghana said 20 years after Beijing, participation more women in decision-making around the world however is occurring at a tremendous slow pace.
Figures from the UNDP, the former first lady said indicates that, female representation in national parliament went up by 1.5 percent in 2013 defined as progress as compared to previous years; a 1.5 percentage increment which she said will get women at highest level of decision-making fast enough.
The average percentage figure of women in national parliaments stands at 22 percent. In Africa region, female parliamentary representation stands t 22.4. The average world figure is below the actual parity and below the internationally agreed minimum target of 30 percent set in 1990 and reinforced by the Beijing Plan of Action in 1995 and subsequently by the Millennium Development Goals.
How can we begin to further advance the empowerment cause when women who constitute over 50% of the Ghana’s population are grossly under-represented in our legislative body? Mrs Rawlings asked.
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