By Yussif Ibrahim,
GNA
Kumasi, Nov. 14, GNA
– A two-day capacity building workshop on conflict prevention has been held for
some queens in the Ashanti Region with a call on them to raise their voices in
conflict prevention and resolution processes.
It was attended by
queens from some selected paramount traditional areas in the Region as well as
representatives of some women groups.
Funded by the Canada
Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI), the workshop sought to increase the voices,
participation and inclusion of women in conflict prevention before, during and
after the 2020 general elections.
Professor Emmanuel
Asante, Chairman of the National Peace Council in an opening address, said
traditional rulers were key actors in conflict resolution in Ghana even before
independence and still continued to play relevant roles in facilitating peace
in conflict areas.
He said Ghana would
not flourish if we continue to stifle the potentials of women as a nation,
considering the fact that they constituted more than half of the country’s
population.
“A nation desirous
of development like ours should be twice as much desirous of empowering and
including women, the vulnerable and marginalized in the society,” he stated.
He said the mere
fact that a lot of males have been dominating the conflict management process
in the country did not necessarily mean that the field was impermeable by
women.
“Just like how
several women have been able to stand up to shine in other male-dominated
fields, conflict management should not be impossible to be executed by women,”
he emphasized.
Prof. Asante
underlined the urgent need to empower women in Ghana more than ever as the
country’s socio-political atmosphere remained highly polarized.
He counseled the
participants not only to fancy themselves as strong women but also take that
extra leap to empower other women as traditional leaders.
Mr Simon Osei
Mensah, the Ashanti Regional Minister in a speech read on his behalf, said it
was unfortunate that women continued to be marginalized in peace and security
processes, but there was adequate evidence that women participation in conflict
prevention contributed effectively to today’s complex crises.
He said women had
proven to be fundamental to social change that prevented conflicts, hence it
was imperative to empower them to actively participate in conflict prevention
and peace building processes.
The workshop, he
opined, was appropriate and timely since the participation of women in conflict
prevention and mediation efforts around the world was an enormous force with
great impact.
Mr Pasquale
Salvaggio, the Political and Public Affairs Counsellor of the Canadian Embassy,
said Ghana over the years had positioned itself as the beacon of democracy in
Africa and that the rest of the world was expecting the country to maintain
that feat by ensuring inclusive, peaceful, free and fair elections.
He said the CFLI was
committed to supporting small-scale and high-impact projects conceived and
designed predominantly by local partners and focused on themes including human
rights, inclusive governance and democracy.
GNA
