Gender Ministry salutes Ghanaian women
On behalf of the Government of Ghana, the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection has saluted all women and girls in Ghana on the occasion of International Women’s Day (IWD).
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A statement issued and signed by the sector minister, Nana Oye Lithur, said, “As we reflect on our achievements and challenges as Ghanaian women, let us remember that we are at the cusp of change, we are Ghanaian women, determined to stand together as one to consolidate and improve on what our foremothers achieved for Ghana half a century ago at our independence.”
It paid glowing tribute to Madam Mabel Dove Danquah, who was a freedom fighter, political activist and prolific journalist and writer, who used her skills, not only to challenge colonial rule, but also male dominance over women. She became the first female member of the Legislative Assembly in 1954 in the Gold Coast, the first African woman to be elected by adult suffrage.
First female magistrate
Another woman that was mentioned was Justice Ruth Annie Jiagge, who rose through the ranks from being the first female magistrate to the first female judge of the Court of Appeal in 1969 which was at the time, the highest court in Ghana. She served as the President of the Court of Appeal from 1980-1983. She was very instrumental in the drafting of United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and served on the Advisory Board and offered immense guidance in preparation for the Fourth World Conference on Women, held in Beijing in 1995.
Madam Susanna Alhassan was a politician who became one of the first female parliamentary ministers in 1961, a beneficiary of the Representation of Peoples Act of 1960. She was appointed from 1961-1963 as the Deputy Minister for Education and then subsequently in 1963-1966 and in 1967 as the Minister for Social Affairs. In 1984, President Rawlings appointed her to serve under the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC)
Ten women parliamentarians
It said under Dr Kwame Nkrumah, 10 women were elected unopposed to Parliament in June 1960. They were, Mrs Susana Alhassan, Mrs Ayanori Bukari, Ms Victoria Nyarko, Sophia Doku, Mary Koranteng, Regina Asamany, Grace Ayensu, Christiana Wilmot, Comfort Asamoah and Lucy Anim and by this act, Ghana became one of the first African countries to introduce a quota system for women.
It also recalled the living heroine Madam Theodosia Okoh, who designed the national flag and said Ghana was proud to have a female Chief Justice, Her Ladyship Justice Georgina Theodora Wood, and the immediate past speaker of Parliament, Right Honourable Joyce Adelaide Bamford Addo.
Women in government
It said for the first time in Ghana, President John Dramani Mahama’s administration has appointed the highest number of women in government. It mentioned that some of the key appointments included eight Cabinet Ministers holding the portfolios of Foreign Affairs; Attorney-General and Minister of Justice; Education; Health; Culture and Tourism; Gender Children and Social Protection; and Transport; Chairperson of the Council of State; Deputy Chief of Staff at the Office of the President and the Director General of the Ghana AIDS Commission.
The rest are Controller and Accountant General; head of the Statistical Service; Controller General of Prisons; Chair of the National Commission for Civic Education and Executive Director of the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre.
It also mentioned the Commissioner of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), Ms Lauretta Vivian Lamptey; the current UN Chair of CEDAW, Madam Hillary Gbedemah; Prof. Akua Kuenyehia, Vice-President of the International Criminal Court; Prof. Henrietta Mensah Bonsu, second in command of the UN in Liberia; and Prof. Florence Dolphyne, the first female professor.
Women in corporate, business and financial world
The statement also commended women for their roles in the corporate, business and financial world, female educationists and heads of schools, female artistes and traditional leaders, led by Yaa Asantewaa, Queenmother of Ejisu, Awo Dede, Nana Dokua and many female queenmothers who blazed the trail decades before independence.
“We acknowledge lady pastors, Muslem female leaders and traditionalists who have held together the moral and religious fabric of the nation, our women with disabilities, women in business, market women, women in agriculture, who have all contributed immensely to the economic growth of this country. We celebrate women in civil society and NGOs partnering with government, for your resilience, bravery, hard work and determination in raising high the flag of Ghana.”
Maternal mortality
The statement said there had been a decrease in maternal mortality to a current rate of 350 deaths per 100,000 live births, while net enrolment for primary school girls in 2011 was 84.04.
“Unfortunately, however, only 10.9 per cent of seats in Parliament are held by women. We must continue and sustain efforts to ensure gender equality, to ensure women become an integral part of national development, are free from gender-based violence, harmful traditional practices, that we are not killed by intimate partners who profess love for us.
We recognise the role of Parliament, which has passed laws to protect our interest, the role of the Judiciary, whose Supreme Court delivered a landmark judgement that has secured the property rights of women in marriage, the role of the media, which has consistently highlighted our issues, including the unfortunate humiliation of three young women alleged to have stolen items from a shop at the Accra Mall. We all condemn actions that degenerate women, including this incident,” it said.