Gender programmes must be catered for with budgets

Accra, Aug. 24, GNA - The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MoGCSP), wants to see gender programmes in all annual work plans catered for with adequate budgets in the ensuing years.

It has therefore appealed to stakeholders to complement the effort of MoGCSP to promote equality and equity for all.

Dr Mrs Comfort Asare, the Acting National Director for Gender (MoGCSP), said this at a sensitisation workshop for Ministry Departments and Agencies, Municipal and Metropolitan District Assembly civil society organisations on the National Gender Policy in Accra.

The workshop on the theme: 'Mainstreaming Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment into Ghana's Developments Efforts,' attracted representatives from Western, Greater Accra, Eastern and Central Regions.

Dr Asare contended that gender equity and women empowerment were strategies for reducing poverty levels, social injustice among women and men, improving health standards and enhancing efficiency of public and private sector investment and domestic finance.

'Thus achieving gender equality is regarded as the attainment of human rights and a pre-requisite for sustainable development,' she added.

She observed that Ghana's goals towards achieving gender equality targets were guided by the commitment to International instrument, the 1992 Constitution and national development frameworks.

She explained that the constitution guaranteed gender equality and freedom of women and men, girls and boys from discrimination on the basis of social and economic status.

Dr Asare said the goal of the national policy was to mainstream gender equity concerns into the national developmental processes by improving the social, legal, civic political, economic and socio-cultural conditions of the people of Ghana particularly women, girls, children the vulnerable and people with special needs.

Throwing light on the national gender policy, Dr Asare said one of its objective was to accelerate efforts and commitment of government in empowering women especially women with disability to have safe and secure livelihood, access to economic opportunities, decent work to improve earnings.

According to her the policy would also support the passage and implementation of an Affirmative Action Law and put in place transformative measures, including leadership development that would enable women and men participation equally in achieving at least 40 per cent of women representation in politics.

She said the guiding principles of the gender policy were human rights, diversity, sustainable development, accountability and availability of resources.

Ms She-Vera Anzagira Projects Coordinator of Action Aid said her organisation was happy that the National Gender Policy was coming into fruition and more resources allocated to programmes of the policy in order to meets its objectives.

Ms Esinam Nyador of MISS TAXI Ghana, a female-driven taxi service, dared women to take male dominated roles.

GNA