Women’s empowerment: An unfinished agenda
The United Nations Headquarters in New York, from March 14 to 24 this year became the centre for the deliberation on issues to influence the global agenda on women and also strategies by various nations in advancing the cause of women.
Advertisement
This was during the 60th Session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW 60), held on the theme, “Women’s empowerment and its link to sustainable development”, with the review theme being, “The elimination and prevention of all forms of violence against women and girls”.
The annual event usually seen as the biggest conference on women, the CSW, a principal global inter-governmental body exclusively dedicated to the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women, brought together ministers of state responsible for women, gender and social development from the various UN-member states, permanent representatives of member states to the UN, accredited civil society organisations and non-governmental organisa
Sessions
The session included a ministerial segment with round table and other high-level interactive dialogues, general discussions, as well as interactive dialogues and panel discussions and side events by stakeholders to draw attention to critical aspects of the work on gender equality.
There was also a Consultative Meeting of African Union (AU) Ministers of Gender and Women Affairs at the African Union Hall of the AU Permanent Observer Mission to the United Nations, in New York, to discuss various issues related to the priorities of women, gender and development in 2016 and beyond under the Chairmanship of Mrs Patricia Kaliati, the Chairperson of the Bureau of the AU Specialised Technical Committee (STC) on Gender, and Women’s Empowerment.
Ghana also held its side event, organised by the Ministry for Gender Children and Social Protection on the theme, "Sexual and gender-based violence in Ghana: Response, prevention and elimination", during which the sector Minister, Nana Oye Lithur, commended Britain's efforts in supporting Ghana with financial assistance to help address the issue of sexual and gender-based violence.
Ending child marriage
In line with the country's determination of ending child marriage and to share its "Ending Child Marriage Initiative" with development partners, identifiable groups and organisations, as well as gender ministers from some parts of Africa, Ghana held a Breakfast Meeting with the aforementioned individuals and organisations on the topic, "Ending Child Marriage in Ghana and West Africa, at the Ghana Permanent Mission in New York during the session.
Elaborating on the issue, Nana Lithur, who led Ghana's delegation of parliamentarians, accredited non-governmental organisations and representatives of identifiable bodies to the annual session, said the ministry had developed a resource guide on ending child marriage in Ghana as part of an existing partnership between the ministry and the United Nations Fund (UNICEF).
Other Trending Stories
She also said the country launched a child marriage programme in February this year and identified goodwill ambassadors and celebrities and formed a network of media allies to champion the campaign.
National Women’s Machinery
Nana Lithur also made significant remarks about the country’s National Women’s Machinery at a ministerial forum and stated that the country remained committed to utilising international protocols to enhance institutional arrangements for gender equality and women empowerment.
She said in keeping with the UN General Assembly resolution adopted 40 years ago, that called on member states to establish appropriate government machinery to accelerate the integration of women in development and the elimination of discrimination against women Ghana was among the first countries to establish the National Council on Women and Development (NCWD) the same year.
This national women’s machinery served as progenitor of a host of legal, policy, institutional and programmatic interventions for women in Ghana over the decades. It was elevated to a Ministry in 2001 and again restructured in 2013 and re-designated as the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MoGCSP) by an Executive Instrument.
Remarkable gains
She said the country had also made remarkable gains in the Gender and Social Protection sector by strengthening the legal and policy framework, effectively mainstreaming gender concerns and increasing protection for the rights of vulnerable groups.
Consequently, the Cabinet had approved a number of important policies to strengthen gender and social protection programmes, and mentioned the National Gender Policy; the Child and Family Welfare Policy; the Social Protection Policy; the Justice for Children Policy and the School Feeding Policy as examples of such policies.
National Gender Policy
The National Gender Policy, approved by the Cabinet in August, 2015, provides broad policy guidelines, strategies and operations/actions in furtherance of government’s commitment to achieving gender equality and women’s empowerment targets in its national vision of “a stable, united, inclusive and prosperous country with opportunities for all”.
Its broad objectives are women empowerment and livelihoods, women rights and access to justice, women leadership and accountable governance, economic opportunities for women, gender roles and relations.
Other critical pieces of legislation designed to strengthen the national social protection programmes, such as the Affirmative Action Bill, the Ageing Bill, the Domestic Violence Regulations, Adoption and Foster Care Regulations, have all been finalised and validated to be laid before the nation’s Parliament this year.
It is for this reason that women’s empowerment is unfinished business 174 years later after the Seneca Falls Declaration and has been included as Goal Number 5 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs) adopted last year.