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Develop national policies to enable women thrive in the field of science and innovation – Prof.Marian Nkansah
AN Associate Professor at the Chemistry Department of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Professor Marian Asantewah Nkansah has called for the development of national policies to enable women to thrive in the field of science and innovation.
Such a move, Prof Asantewah explained, would help make women who were already in the field find it a safe environment and also motivate young women.
The Associate Professor made the call in an interview with the media at a Women in Innovation and Research Conference organised by Heritors Labs (HL) Limited, a renowned product development company specialised in software and research last week Friday.
The Conference formed part of HLs’ central commitment to empowering women and fostering gender equality in the research, development and innovation domain.
Held on the theme “Breaking barriers, empowering women, and driving ownership: Putting women in the care of research and innovation ecosystem”, the conference was aimed at showcasing groundbreaking ideas, facilitating networking opportunities, and promoting inclusivity.
It was organised in collaboration with the Research and Innovation Systems for Africa (RISA) Fund, with support from the United Kingdom (UK) Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO).
“As a country we do not have many policies that are geared towards making women, and science and technology thrive. There are general policies on science, but women specific we do not have them.
I therefore recommend that we will have women-specific policies so that the few women who are in these spaces will find it a safe environment to thrive, and then young ones will also see the need to come in”, Prof Asantewah explained.
She further underscored the need to organise structured mentorship programmes to mentor budding women scientists, innovators and researchers with expected deliverables that could be measured.
Expressing her view on gender stereotyping regarding women in research, science, and innovation, Prof Asantewah explained that it was mostly done based on unconscious bias due to the way individuals were brought up.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of HL Limited, Mr Derrydean Dadzie who bemoaned the low number of women researchers in Ghana which stood at 26.1 percent according to a report by UNESCO in 2021 noted that the lack of partnerships was one of the reasons the works of women were not recognised.
He therefore called for investment in women, and a deliberate attempt to ensure scientific output that were led by women were given the needed boost in terms of, especially, financial support and policies.
The Conference was attended by women researchers in academia, from various institutes of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), and representatives from the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation (MESTI).
HL Limited had been at the forefront of advancing research, development, and innovation (RD&I) in Ghana since 2022, and had launched a series of events and initiatives aimed at overcoming challenges and fostering development
Caption: Prof Asantewah speaking at the conference
The spokesperson for Dr. Bawumia, Dennis Miracles Aboagye, has criticised the implementation of the NDC government’s No Fee Stress policy, arguing that the programme has failed to deliver on its core promise.
According to him on Starr fm, the policy, which was introduced to ensure stress free payment of fees for level 100 tertiary students, has rather turned into what he described as post stress support.
He explained that students are required to pay their fees first before applying for reimbursement, a situation he believes defeats the purpose of the policy.
He questioned claims by government officials that the policy has been successful and that citizens are happy.
In his view, such claims do not reflect the lived realities of many Ghanaians. He stressed that while some people may appear satisfied, many others continue to struggle.
Dennis Miracles Aboagye pointed to the situation of trained teachers and nurses who have been picketing for nearly six months, demanding employment.
He noted that government responses suggesting it cannot accommodate all of them contradict claims of economic stability.
He further argued that economic indicators such as a stable currency mean little to people who are unable to secure jobs or access promised support.
He observed that telling an unemployed teacher or a struggling student that the cedi has strengthened does not address their immediate challenges.
On the issue of tertiary education, he maintained that no level 100 student benefited from stress free fees in 2025, despite the policy being announced.
He added that in 2026, students have already reported to school without receiving the promised support.
He insisted that asking students to pay fees first and seek reimbursement later amounts to support after hardship, not stress free education.
According to him, this approach goes against what was promised during the policy announcement.
Dennis Miracles Aboagye questioned why a government that presents the economy as strong is unable to fulfil what he described as simple and clear promises.
He added that there is a fundamental problem with the way the economy is being managed and indicated that he is prepared to explain his position further.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Dancehall musician Shatta Wale has issued a strong public statement calling for an end to what he describes as continuous attacks on his brand, following an apology from media commentator Awal Mohammed.
In the statement, Shatta Wale acknowledged the apology but stressed that persistent criticism and what he sees as deliberate attempts to damage his image must stop.
He noted that for many years, he has spoken for the streets, the youth, and people who feel ignored by society, while also promoting Ghana on the global stage and creating jobs through his work.
He expressed concern that some media personalities, commentators, and influential figures continue to target his name unfairly.
According to him, the issue goes beyond music and touches on respect, fairness, and national maturity.
The musician warned that continued disrespect toward voices that represent ordinary people could have wider consequences.
He emphasised that the Shatta Movement remains strong and organized, and that the patience of the masses should not be taken for granted.
He added that if systems continue to fail the people, they have the ability to organize politically through numbers and truth, not violence or hate.
Shatta Wale clarified that his message was not a threat but a reminder of reality, stressing that attacking a symbol that represents millions of people can have social, cultural, and democratic effects.
He called for respect, fairness, and unity, saying the voice of the people will always rise.
The statement comes after Awal Mohammed recently described Shatta Wale fans during a public discussion as junkies.
The comments triggered backlash from fans of the musician, prompting Awal to later issue an apology.
By: Jacob Aggrey
