Hot!
142 women famers awarded for hardwork
Sungbo Women Empowerment Organisation (SWEO), a non-governmental organization (NGO) in the Upper West Region has awarded some 142 women farmers in the Wa East District for successfully cultivating soya beans for domestic and commercial consumption.
The awardees who were drawn from various communities in the district received farm equipment and inputs ranging from knapsack sprayers to bags of fertilisers for their exploits.
Speaking at the maiden event at Dupare last Saturday, the Chief Executive Officer of SWEO, Ms Portia Tang said her organisation was interested in enhancing the well-being of women in the region.
She explained that with its presence in six Municipal and District Assemblies, SWEO gave support to women farmers to cultivate soya beans by providing them with the requisite farm implements and inputs on credit basis for repayment later.
“This award ceremony is to recognise the efforts of women who took our credit facilities for their farming, paid on time and maximised productivity”, she said.
She explained that the award sought to also encourage more women to venture into farming and commended the traditional authorities for making land available to the women.
The CEO explained that her organisation was interested in economic empowerment of women and sought to equip women with the necessary skills and support in their various fields of endeavour to enhance productivity and economic independence.
“We have trained some young ladies in shea butter processing and supported them with processing machines as well as mechanised boreholes for the production of shea products”, she said.
Ms Tang encouraged more women to venture into agriculture and appealed to landowners and chiefs to provide land for the women in order to support their quest.
For her part, the District Director at the Department of Agriculture, Ms Mavis Daregobah bemoaned the prevalence of bushfires as well as stealing of farm produce and livestock in the area and said that it thwarted the efforts of farmers.
She appealed to chiefs, landlords and the assembies to institute measures towards combating such criminal and unproductive acts against farmers in the area.
She called on farmers to endeavour to produce beyond subsistence level by venturing into commercial farming in order to maximise profit.
Madam Asata Shaibu Muhammadu from Duapri and Madam Karima Alhassan from Goripie were adjudged the overall best farmers.
Each of the two women received a bicycle, knapsack sprayers, weedicides and a pair of wellington boots for cultivating eight acres of soya beans each and paying up the credit they received from the NGO on time.
FROM LYDIA DARLINGTON FORDJOUR, DUPARE
The Vice President, Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, has called for stronger action to promote gender equity and create more opportunities for women in the workplace.
She made the call in a Facebook post after joining staff at the Presidency of Ghana to mark International Women’s Day.
The celebration was held under the theme “From Commitment to Action: Promoting Equity for Every Woman in the Workplace” and focused on recognising the achievements of women while reflecting on the work needed to ensure equal opportunities.
Professor Opoku-Agyemang extended warm wishes to women across Ghana and noted that women have always played key roles in the country’s communities and economic activities.
According to her, women in the past served as healers, traders and queen mothers who contributed to leadership and governance in traditional societies.
She explained that Ghana’s cultural history shows that women have long provided knowledge, leadership and innovation to help develop communities.
The Vice President however noted that current disparities require society to examine systems and structures that may have limited opportunities for women.
She stressed that advancing gender equity will require deliberate actions and the mentoring of young women to prepare them for leadership roles.
Professor Opoku-Agyemang recognised women whose work takes place in markets, streets and small trading spaces across the country.
According to her, these women form the backbone of local economies and continue to demonstrate resilience despite the difficult conditions they face.
She commended women working at the Presidency for their dedication and leadership and reaffirmed the need to promote respect, fairness and opportunity for every woman.
The Vice President further called on both men and women to work together to break barriers and ensure that women can fully contribute to Ghana’s development.
By: Jacob Aggrey
The Diaspora Affairs Office at the Office of the President has hosted a delegation of African diaspora women who are in Ghana ahead of a planned Presidential Conferment of Citizenship ceremony.
The Director of Diaspora Affairs, Kofi Okyere Darko, explained in a Facebook post that the visit was a gesture of appreciation by the delegation to the Government of Ghana for its continued efforts to reconnect Africans in the diaspora with their ancestral homeland.
He indicated that the ceremony, scheduled for next Monday, will officially grant Ghanaian citizenship to members of the delegation as part of the country’s broader engagement with the African diaspora.
The delegation was led by Erica Bennett, Founder of the Diaspora Africa Forum.
According to Mr Okyere Darko, her years of advocacy have played an important role in strengthening ties between Africa and people of African descent living abroad.
He noted that the group’s journey towards citizenship represents not only a legal process but also a cultural and spiritual return to their roots.
Also present at the meeting was Natalie Jackson, an attorney who is also expected to receive Ghanaian citizenship during the ceremony. She works closely with renowned civil rights lawyer Ben Crump.
Mr Okyere Darko emphasised that Ghana remains committed to strengthening relationships with the African diaspora and promoting unity, identity, and shared heritage among people of African descent worldwide.
By: Jacob Aggrey
