FOSDA lauds Gender Ministry for National Gender Policy

The Foundation for Security and Development in Africa (FOSDA), has lauded the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, and other stakeholders, for putting together the final draft of the National Gender Policy.

Ms Afi Yakubu, FOSDA Executive Director, said, when adopted, the policy would help address gender equity and empowerment of women for national development.

She described the draft policy document as a very great achievement in the history of the campaign, to promote gender equity and equality in Ghana.

She further commended Nana Oye Lithur, Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, and her predecessors, for their efforts and hard work, in getting the policy adopted.

“The policy is very important because since 1995, after the Beijing platform, a lot of discussions have been around on gender equality but without it being backed by committed government policy like the current draft policy,” Ms Yakubu stated in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Accra.

“I hope that this will set the stage for a much more dynamic move toward gender inclusiveness; which will address the endemic poverty that we keep talking about especially in relation to women and the vulnerable groups,” the Executive Director noted. 

“Also on the political platform, our various political parties will take cue and open up the space so that women will be able to participate more meaningfully,” she added. 

She said: “We should also be looking at the land issue and access to resources. More than 80 per cent of our women in Ghana work the land and they do not have access to good land. 

“They do not have the possibility of owning land so they end up just being labourers on the farms of their family members and spouses. 

“I hope that this policy will also look at the possibility of addressing it and making our country a much more equitable one; where women and men will develop together.”

She urged the Gender Ministry to ensure that after the adoption of the policy, it pursued with the same vigour to get all district assemblies pass specific bye-laws adopting the Gender Policy.

She explained that this was because the various district assemblies had peculiar issues in relation to gender, especially in the area of cultural gender context in the various parts of the country. 

“So the policy should encourage the adoption and development of bye-laws at the district level to address peculiar gender challenges that pertain in the respective districts,” Ms Yakubu stated.

GNA