The Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) is celebrating all Ghanaian women as today marks International Women\u2019s Day, for their immeasurable contribution to the development of Ghana.<\/p>\n
“On the occasion of International Women\u2019s Day, Wednesday, March 8, 2018, the Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) celebrates women for their immeasurable contribution to the social, economic, cultural, and political development of Ghana”<\/p>\n
The theme for this year\u2019s celebration, \u201cTime is Now: Rural and urban activists transforming women\u2019s lives,\u201d provides an opportunity to reflect on the efforts and struggles of women activists to change positively, the overall status and circumstance of women and girls in Ghana.<\/p>\n
While \u00a0CDD-Ghana commends the significant strides made in the fight for women\u2019s rights, justice, and equality, and the various other attempts at bridging the gender gap in Ghana, CDD-Ghana notes, with concern, that progress towards gender parity remains slow.<\/p>\n
According to them, inequality is very prevalent in women’s participation in politics, in spite of the policies introduced to increase women representation in key government offices.<\/p>\n
A recent Afrobarometer survey indicates that a large majority (72%) of Ghanaians \u201cagree\u201d or \u201cagree very strongly\u201d that women should have the same chance of being elected to political office as men. However, women are rarely encouraged to compete for such positions.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis was evident in the 2016 elections where there was only one female presidential candidate and only one female running mate, representing 14.3% as opposed to 85.7% male. Though there was an uptick in women representation in Parliament in the elections (37, compared to 29 in 2012) \u2013\u00a0 the highest in the country\u2019s history \u2013\u00a0 this is still very low, compared to 238 elected male parliamentarians. \u201c<\/p>\n
CDD-Ghana also noted that Ghanaian women, both in the rural and urban settings are confronted with peculiar challenges which threaten their socio-economic and political development.<\/p>\n
In spite of the contributions of rural women to agricultural production and the economy, most agricultural and economic policies are not women-inclusive.<\/p>\n
Women continue to face diverse challenges, such as limited access to land, lack of access to credit, poor access to healthcare, particularly maternal healthcare.<\/p>\n
According to the World Economic Forum\u2019s 2017 Global Gender Gap Index, indicates that it will take an estimated 102 years for Sub-Saharan Africa to close its overall gender gap.<\/p>\n
CDD-Ghana hopes that the nationally-adopted theme for this year\u2019s celebration, \u201c#WomenToo: Press to Progress as Game Changers,\u201d will aptly motivate women and all stakeholders to strive for the much-desired change anticipated in the lives of women.<\/p>\n
The Center wants the government to apply the appropriate policies and measures must to accelerate the realization of gender equality in Ghana.<\/p>\n
Paramount among these is the passage of the Affirmative Action Bill, which will ensure 50:50 representations of women in key public appointments.<\/p>\n
The center also calls for gender-responsive provisions in key government programs such as the Planting for Food and Jobs Program which has the potential to positively impact lives of millions of Ghanaian women, and the Infrastructure for Poverty Eradication Program.<\/p>\n
According to the Center such efforts will enable women to overcome existing barriers to economic emancipation while realizing socio-economic potentials.<\/p>\n
CDD-Ghana has also called upon women-interest stakeholders, particularly the Government of Ghana, the Parliament of Ghana, the Ministry for Gender, Children and Social Protection, civil society organizations, the media, and the public to intensify efforts at addressing challenges confronting women in Ghana.<\/p>\n
They also urge and encourage women to participate actively in politics, at all levels of government, and demand the adoption and implementation of policies and programmes that will unburden and transform the lives of women.<\/p>\n
By: citifmonline.com\/Ghana<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) is celebrating all Ghanaian women as today marks International Women\u2019s Day, for their immeasurable contribution to the development of Ghana. “On the occasion of International Women\u2019s Day, Wednesday, March 8, 2018, the Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) celebrates women for their immeasurable contribution to the social, economic, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":407855,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[5],"tags":[1484,3,4757],"yoast_head":"\n