|
Nana Konadu
calls for commitment to women, children issues
Accra, Jan. 6, Ghanadot/GNA - Former first
lady and president of the 31st December Women’s Movement (DWM),
Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings, has called on political
leaders to show more commitment to women and children’s
issues in 2009.
In a New Year’s message issued in Accra on Tuesday, Mrs
Rawlings said 2009 must be a year for women and children’s
issues to be recognised and for politicians to appreciate
the impact their policies and actions had on women and
children in particular.
She said the bitterly contested nature of the presidential
elections had exposed negative traits of politics that “we
cannot allow to serve as a legacy for our children to
(follow)”.
“The political atmosphere has been tainted with accusations
and counter accusations, lies, intimidation, insults and
acrimony. These embarrassing manifestations of our current
political dispensation must be exorcised as we start a fresh
year,” Mrs Rawlings said.
She said in 2008 the movement saw a significant rise in its
membership as more women subscribed to its programmes.
Mrs Rawlings said “We adopted a ward at the Princess Marie
Louis Hospital in Accra and it was a joy to see the
happiness we brought to the children all year round.
Christmas was marked with decorations and other activities
and in 2009 we hope to expand our scope.”
She said on the women’s front, the Movement provided credit
facilities for women in various levels of small-scale
business and “we are happy to note that our activities
brought joy and empowerment to most women and succour to
their families, particularly the children.
“Majority of our women are still underprivileged, lack
education and are regarded as lacking the ability to become
significant breadwinners for their families. The DWM has
over the years been working hard to reverse that trend
especially in the rural areas and I must say we have made
significant inroads and will consolidate those gains in
2009,” Mrs Rawlings said.
She called on civil society organisations and
non-governmental organisations working on child issues to
pool their resources to ensure that women and children’s
issues received adequate attention in all sectors of society
particularly the Executive and Parliament.
“I also call women to show more interest in political
issues. The ratio of men to women in parliament is an
indictment on women’s participation in politics. We cannot
seek political and economic empowerment if we consistently
choose to play second fiddle to our men folk in decision-making,”Mts
Rawlings said.
She thanked diplomatic missions in Ghana for responding
positively to the call to send monitors to observe the 2008
Presidential and Parliamentary elections.
She said: “Their overwhelming response is touching and has
gone a long way in protecting the sanctity of the election.
I dread what the situation would have been if so many
international organisations had not shown interest in the
ongoing elections.”
GNA |
