General News of Monday, 24 September 2018
Source: Myjoyonline.com
2018-09-24
Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings
Enough with the laws on women and gender in the books, take them to the classroom as part of the education curriculum at all stages — that is a call by former First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings.
The former First Lady believes her suggestion will give spine to the drive to enhance women empowerment.
She observes that there are too many laws on gender and women which are hardly implemented and hence fail to make the desired impact.
Legal analysts have often said Ghana is good at enacting so many laws but falls short of implementing them.
At a program dubbed, ‘’W3 Summit’’, the former First Lady pointed out it is time to take education on women and gender a step further.
“I think that every generation thinks that we are starting women empowerment program all over again. But if the laws that have been passed for women and children are being propagated in the schools, taught in the schools even in the media on our televisions every few minutes give us one law, it will help generations to know that these things have been done so we don’t repeat them,” she said.
Mrs Rawlings also charged the media to use their platform to intensify public education and advocacy on the laws.
“Let’s all learn about the laws on our media networks. For instance, every few minutes give us a few laws so we appreciate and learn. It should not be in English alone but in all languages. The empowerment of women is not when you talk about it alone; there should be structures in place.
“It is educating people who don’t understand why women should be empowered. All these things have to be looked at. All these sexual connotations that are put vis a vis women have to be stopped,” she said.
According to Mrs Rawlings, it was about time we went back to the basics: ”how our grandmothers and mothers taught us”.
Ghana’s first female Brigadier-General in the Ghana Armed Forces, Constance Edjeani-Afenu, was also at the event.
She advised hundreds of student participants to stay focused and work hard in their respective chosen career.
W3 Summit is an annual assembly of distinguished women who are making an impact in various fields to inspire the younger ones.
Founder, 23-year-old, Winifred Selby, explains the summit is aimed at empowering young girls to break cultural limitations to be whatever and whoever they want to be without compromise.
“If you are a woman and the stage you have gotten to, you think there are a lot of challenges, whether financially or society is looking down on you, please put yourself together, be bold and confident and pursue your dream,” she said.
She is worried that, “for our generation, most of our young girls are depending on the men too much, my sister the person is not yet married to you. He is buying you credit, he is paying your bills, he is fixing your hair, he is renting an apartment for you, you are depending on them too much; If it happens like that, you are losing you value and respect as a woman”.
In her view, that is why the main purpose of the summit is to empower women to break cultural limitations, raise economically independent women and raise female future leaders for the 21st century.