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Mrs Dzifa Gomashie, Deputy Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, said empowering women is a proven and necessary tool for advancing development and reducing poverty. She therefore urged young ladies to stay focused and work hard to pursue their future aspirations adding that if girls and women have better access to education, their families and the nation benefit. Mrs Gomashie made this statement at workshop organised by Values for Life and the United Nations Information Centre to mark 2014 International Women�s Day in Accra and to celebrate the 2014 UN International Women�s Day on the theme: �Equality for Women is Progress for All Through Total Inclusion�. The day is used to celebrate the economic, political and social achievements of women, and as a platform to inspire women and to call for gender equality. Mrs Gomashie called on all to educate and inspire action within the communities to transform the lives of women and girls and eliminate all forms of violence and discrimination against them. Mrs Rachael Apoh, Deputy Minister for Gender, Women and Social Protection, also called for efforts from all and sundry in fighting and protecting the right of women in the country. She described women as the engine of growth and constitute a larger percentage of the country�s population yet most of them continue to be victims of violence, rape, human trafficking and domestic violence. Mrs Apoh lauded the effort of gender pace-setters both in Ghana, Africa and on the international scene for fighting and protecting the rights of women. She said the Ministry would set out implementing modalities for the progressive legislative and social intervention programmes to ensure gender equality through the promotion of the welfare system and protection of children. Mrs Shirley Frempong Manso, a Movie Director, urged women to be fearless and always fight for their right and call for the need to support each other to fight the cause of women. Each year, International Women�s Day is celebrated on March 8 across the world to highlight the vital role women play in enhancing economic security for their families, communities and countries as a whole, while recognizing that significant barriers to achieving women's economic security and equality continue to exist.