The Executive Director of Our Lady of Mercy Community Services (OLAM), Mr. Emmanuel Atiiga, has observed that Ghana can only achieve accelerated progress in her development if only Government invests in women’s empowerment and development.
Speaking to journalists as part of the activities to mark this year’s International Women’s Day celebration on in Navrongo the theme”, ‘Investing in women: Accelerate Progress”. in Navrongo on Friday, the Executive Director, stressed that among the major tools that could be used to invest and empower women was through the passage of the Affirmative Action Bill into Law and providing employable skills.
Mr. Atiiga who stated that the Affirmative Action Bill has been in Parliament since 2011, called on Parliament and the leadership of government as a matter of urgency to expedite action for the passage of the Bill into law.
He stated he was confident that the Bill when passed into law, would help encourage efforts towards addressing socio-cultural, political, economic, and educational gender imbalances in private and public sectors by Clause 4 of Article 17 of the 1992 Constitution.
“It is significant to note that among some of the measures that could be adopted and implemented to invest in women and ensure accelerated development include the passage of the Affirmative Action Bill into law and empowering women, particularly young girls, with employable skills”, he stressed.
He argued that research had shown that countries that have invested in women are now accelerating in development than before and mentioned Rwanda, Iceland, Finland, and Norway as some of the examples.
He said it is so sad that many civil society organizations including OLAM as well as female aspirants for the local government elections over the years have been pushing for the Affirmative Action Bill to be passed into law, yet nothing good seems to come out of this effort, stressing “the gender gap has widened socioeconomic and political development”.
The Executive Director stated that providing employable skills to women, particularly the young ones was one of the surest means to investing in women to accelerate progress and that the years, OLAM, with funding support from its development partners, has implemented some major interventions, aimed at, empowering women economically and socially.
He cited for instance, OLAM, with funding support from the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA), Senegal, and the German Embassy in Ghana, OLAM had over the years empowered 1000 young girls in the Navrongo Municipal and Paga in the Kassena-Nankana with employable skills who have established their shops and employing other young girls in the areas of smock weaving, bids making, batik, tie and dye making, seamstress, hairdressing and Computing.
Some of these beneficiaries who are widows, orphans, and school dropped out are now independent taking good care of themselves and their families.
In addition to the skills training and entrepreneurship training, the beneficiaries received start-up kits such as sewing machines, weaving equipment, and cash of monies to facilitate the setting up of their enterprises as well as certificates.
While commanding the government to establish Technical and Vocational Education in Ghana, he appealed to the government to prioritize the sector and encourage more females to join the training since it is very critical to addressing the unemployment challenges confronting the country.
The NGO also held radio talks on Nabina Radio, a community radio in Navrongo to advocate for gender empowerment at the institutional level.
OLAM is a non-governmental organization working in some thematic areas including gender empowerment, Climate Change, Skills and Entrepreneurship empowerment, and negative cultural practices.
