<<Print>>

MESSAGE FROM MRS. BARBARA BOAFO, NPP-USA WOMEN’S ORGANIZER
ON THE OCCASION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY CELEBRATION
ON MARCH 8, 2020

The International Women's Day, celebrated on March 8 every year, is a global day
celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The
day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity. The theme for this
year’s celebration is, “I am Generation Equality: Realizing Women’s Rights.”

The year 2020 represents an unmissable opportunity to mobilize global action to
achieve gender equality and human rights of all women and girls since women have
fought for a long time to be considered equal in society.

The world has witnessed a significant change and attitudinal shift in both women's
and society's thoughts about women's equality and emancipation. Efforts to promote
gender equality have come a long way in gaining attention and catalysing change,
but there is still a long way to go. Women are now a part of the workforce, but the
workplace can be a breeding ground of inequality and violence against women.

More African companies should step up gender equality initiatives. All employers
should double their efforts to achieve gender balance and make progress to boost
gender balance. They can open crèche at their offices to provide childcare for
employees’ children aged 5-15 months and breastfeeding facilities for mothers. They
should also aim to change the situation where male dominates the workplace by
hiring and promoting employees, regardless of gender, and offering breastfeeding
amenities on site.

Equality starts at home and a company’s parental leave policy should be inclusive to
enable employees thrive and achieve their career aspirations. To overcome biases,
job advertisements are now gender neutral to minimize the perception that a specific
role is directed at a particular sex. Employment must be solely based on
qualifications, experience and merit, not gender.

Unequal access to education, early marriage rates among women and family
responsibilities must be overcome swiftly to increase the number of women in the
formal workforce.

The NPP government had taken measures to promote the fulfilment of girls and
women potential through education, skills development and the eradication of
illiteracy for all girls and women without discrimination of any kind, giving
paramount importance to the elimination of poverty and ill health.

When women are educated, they would have the guts to fight for their own and
build the habit of speaking for their own basic rights. Women's empowerment was
all about equipping and allowing women to make life-determining decisions,
through the different problems in society, and this includes the action of raising the
status of women through education, raising awareness, literacy, and training.

I commend the Nana Akufo-Addo led government for introducing the Free Senior
High School (SHS) Policy which has offered more girls an opportunity to get
secondary education, who hitherto, would have been drop-outs.

We must advocate for a “gender parity mindset”, a mind-set change from ground
level to the top is necessary – there should be equality at entry-level positions, as
well as in positions of power, since leadership should be reflective of the change we
want to see.

I believe a conscious effort must be made by all organizations, public and private, to
offer equal opportunities to both men and women. So make a difference, think
globally and act locally! Do your bit to ensure that the future for girls is bright, equal,
safe and rewarding.

Long live Ghana, long live women, long live the Women’s Wing of the NPP

Signed
Barbara Boafo, NPP-USA Women’s Organizer