ASWIM salutes women to mark IWD

In a message to mark this year’s International Women’s Day (IWD), the Association of Women in the Media (ASWIM) says it is excited to join believers in a fairer and fully developed world, across the globe, to celebrate women for their laudable contributions towards sustaining their families, communities, nations and the world at large.

ASWIM particularly commended the unsung women in the remotest corners of the world who tirelessly tilt the land to feed the world, and many others whose selflessness and sacrifices have culminated in them shattering the glass ceiling to make women’s efforts visible.

“We also commend the numerous women who are survivors of heinous human rights abuses whose resilience and courage to speak up have given hope to others to break free for a sturdy development of the women’s front,” it added.

The association said the celebration of IWD was imperative because “no society can achieve holistic development and peace for all of its citizens when there is an under representation of the concerns, perspectives, knowledge and expertise of women in the critical spheres of social, economic, business and political governance”.

Passing the AA Bill into law

It said one definite means of actualising those was the passage of the Lands Bill with the Gender Equality Social Inclusion Clauses intact and the Affirmative Action Bill.

“On the occasion of the IWD, ASWIM, therefore, makes a passionate appeal to our honourable Members of Parliament to strengthen their commitment towards the social, economic and political justice for Ghanaian women and girls by expediting action towards passing these Bills before they rise from the current session,” it said.

It said ASWIM, therefore, “renews it commitment to fully work towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goal five, which reinforces the need to “Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life”.

It added that “ASWIM is also a firm believer in the principle that ‘an equal world is an enabled world' and duly commits to the global campaign for #Each for equal, which is a call to work as individuals, yet collectively, to challenge the stereotypes, fight the biases, broaden perceptions and improve on situations to enhance the wellbeing of women and humankind”.