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National Coordinator for One-District-One-Factory (1D1F), Mrs. Gifty Ohene-Konadu has cautioned those calling President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo names over his comment about Ghanaian women when he addressed a forum in Canada not to divert the focus of women empowerment with politics and insults.

According to him, those self-acclaimed gender advocates have reduced the issues of gender activism to loose talks and insults which is different from the core purpose of discussing and analysing issues to ascertain the shortfalls of women before integrating them into national development.

Speaking on Okay FM’s 'Ade Akye Abia' Morning Show, Mrs. Ohene-Konadu who takes pride as a pioneer member of National Council on Women and Development (NCWD) said the council was set up as machinery to ensure the advancement of women through serious analyses of gender activities.

She revealed that the set up of NCWD in 1975 in the era of General Kutu Acheampong combined the efforts of women in the academia and those in industries to form the membership to ensure that serious issues are discussed with regards to women empowerment.

“It was set up so that all the activities we were doing with regards to women issues will not be in isolation of other international bodies. It is something we use to respond to call on international level but NCWD was set up in response to call that the member state should set up machinery which will ensure the advancement of women,” she revealed.

“When we set up the NCWD, we appointed people from the academia and other women from industry to join the council. For example, women like Aunty Esther Ocloo, Mrs. Florence Dolphine, Mrs. Anidziadzi, Jean Cole and others started the NCWD and so it is not for jokes,” she reiterated.

She chastised that “the issues of women empowerment is not about ranting and insulting, it is rather that you understand the issues being discussed then you analyse the issues to know where women have their shortfalls before we empower them and integrate them into national development.”

She however bemoaned the extent to which the upcoming young ones who instead of staying focus on the core purpose of NCWD have diverted to unnecessary tantrums, politics and insults.

“ . . the work we left behind for the upcoming young ones to continue, they have rather diverted the focus of NCWD to politics and insults as well as unnecessary tantrums. We don’t do gender issue like that,” she cautioned.

Meanwhile, National Women’s Organiser of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Dr Hannah Louisa Bissiw has descended heavily on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo over his controversial comments about Ghanaian women when he addressed a forum in Canada.

To her, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has embarrassed Ghanaian women globally with the comments he made during the ‘Women Deliver Conference’ in Canada.

She, therefore, wants President Akufo-Addo to immediately apologise to Ghanaian women for his comment which is seen by some as disregarding women.

“Our President’s comments have damaged the old-age struggle for female empowerment in Ghana. Such comments from President Akufo-Addo could kill the spirit and soul of gender empowerment activism.

“Women in this country are very disappointed in him, even in his government, he appointed a lot of women. Then that appointment means nothing to him as a President which is why he made such a disgraceful comment,” she cried.