Ghana Is On Course In The Fight Against Gender Inequality, Says Rebecca Akufo-Addo

First Lady of the Republic, Mrs Rebecca Akufo-Addo, has stated that the Government of Ghana has put in place adequate measures to ensure that the global goal of gender equality is achieved by the nation.

Gender inequality, according to Mrs Akufo-Addo, is a clear and present danger to the development of humanity. She expressed excitement about the fact that Ghana has taken the fight against gender inequality in the country a step further to ensure that it gets no place in the nation.

Addressing participating First Ladies and guests at the Organization of African First Ladies for Development’s (OAFLAD) high-level event on Wednesday 20 September 2023, on the sidelines of the 78th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, Mrs Rebecca Akufo-Addo said the target of Government is to change the mindsets and attitudes of the citizenry on gender equality.

*Asana story*

Mrs Akufo-Addo began her statement by telling the captivating story of Asana. Asana, according to the First Lady, “was born into a poor family. Her parents manage to send her twin brother to school. At thirteen years, Asana is married off to an older man and has a child at age 14.

“She is required to have her husband with her on her hospital visitations. Her voice is silenced. She has no income, no education, and no freedom to make decisions about her health.

“At age 25, she had six children and looked 40. As strange as this is in our 21st century, this is a picture we can all identify with. That is why this meeting is so important,” Mrs Akufo-Addo said.

*Change efforts*

“I like to think that gender inequality is a clear and present danger to humanity’s development. So, I am happy that Ghana launched our Gender Equality Campaign. It was attended by the Minister of Education, the Gender Minister, Deputy Minister for Health, and other high-level stakeholders, including the Director of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation.

“We discussed what was being done to close gender gaps in the areas of education and health. A welcoming revelation was the establishment of STEM schools for girls and plans for girls to undertake courses in engineering without necessarily studying science in school,” Mrs Akufo-Addo told her global audience.

“The Director General of our State Broadcasting station made a commitment to broadcast the campaign’s key messages in 27 local languages to ensure wide coverage in languages that people understand.

“We also plan to get government officials, traditional leaders, media personnel, and influencers to disseminate the messages. At the end of the day, there’s no effective advocate than the person in the mirror, and there’s no stronger advocate for others as the person who understands another’s struggle.

“We need to change the mindset of the women and girls we seek to help. This fight is about changing people’s perspectives, attitudes, and behaviours and re-directing society to a world of equality. A world where gender is no hindrance to one’s quality of life,” the First Lady further remarked.

*Nigeria*

First Lady of Nigeria, who is a new member of OAFLAD, Mrs Oluremi Tinubu, in her address noted that gender inequality is a real situation in Nigeria due to the religious, ethnic and political divide in the country.

She pointed out that in the little over 100 days since she and her husband assumed office, they have started a full implementation of a comprehensive programme that will help bridge gender inequality and discrimination in Nigeria.

*Botswana*

Mrs Neo Jane Masisi, First Lady of Botswana, on her part, noted that the COVID-19 pandemic which swept through the entire globe, has set the world behind in its quest to win the fight against gender inequality.

She indicated however, that in Botswana, together with her husband, President Mokgweetsi Masisi, a new programme called the National Mindset Change has been launched which is aimed at influencing the way of thinking and the choices of the people of Botswana on the issue of gender equality.

*OAFLA*

In 2002, First Ladies of Africa came together to form the Organization of African First Ladies against HIV/AIDS (OAFLA), with the objective to be a united voice for Africa’s most susceptible citizens; women and children living with and affected by HIV and AIDS.

Over the years, OAFLA has evolved to become an institution that is able to offer continent-wide leadership in terms of advocacy in the areas of HIV and a broad range of maternal and child health interventions.

OAFLA, currently named as the Organization of African First Ladies for Development (OAFLAD), is an advocacy organization where First Ladies of Africa seek to leverage their unique position to advocate for policies that make health services accessible and laws that boost women and youth empowerment.

First Ladies of Africa reinforce favourable policies and programs through advocacy, resource mobilization, and development of partnerships with all stakeholders at all levels. The First Ladies engage in various community-level activities to sensitize communities and create awareness of health risks and policies.

From Wilberforce Asare