News
Reduce workload on pupils – girl appeals
A form two Junior High School (JHS) pupil at Wa in the Upper West Region, Miss Rashida Ibrahim has appealed to parents to reduce the workload on girls in order to allow them time to study and compete favourably with their male counterparts in class.
The young girl lamented that most girls were over burdened with household chores which were unfairly distributed among male and female siblings at home and said this act limited their performance levels in other aspects of life.
“Most of us girls do not get time to play with our colleagues and no time to make friends and socialise because the moment, we close from school, there is work to do at home”, she said.
Ms Rashida stated these on the sidelines of a women empowerment programme orgainsed at Wa by the Network for Young Women’s Empowerment (NYWE) last weekend.
As if this is not enough, Rashida says she has to rush to the market after school, pick up food items from her mother to go and prepare supper, wash dishes and put the house in order.
“I sometimes finish my chores around 8pm by which time, I am very tired and unable to read, but I am quite fortunate that one of my uncles is a teacher so he comes around and helps me with my studies at times”, she said.
Rashida intimated that even with assistance from her uncle, she had never made it to the top 20 in her class after exam because she did not make enough time to read her books.
Miss Rashida said that she would be grateful if parents would share the chores amongst male and female siblings but feared that might never happen as she was constantly reminded of the need to keep up the ‘good work’ for a better marriage in future.
She, therefore, queried if being a woman was all about serving people but not having enough time for oneself was the way to go and sometimes wished she was a male.
Throwing more light on her concern, a member of the NYWE, Ms Doris Siibu attested that growing up as a female was very challenging in many homes in Ghana as many of them had to deal with numerous household chores which were embedded in traditions and culture.
“These things are pushed by traditions we have lived with for so long, hence changing them will require gradual and intentional education that will speak to the minds of people and make them see reason to allow both male and females to maintain the home together”, she said.
She called on parents to support their females to progress both in school and at home by reducing the workload on them and sharing it with their brothers so that girls could also engage in other social activities for mental development.
From Lydia Darlington Fordjour, Wa
Women in Sustainability Africa (WiSA) successfully holds the African Women’s Health and Wealth Conference (AWoHW) with a call for research and investment into women’s healthcare.
It also called for robust financial systems and encouraged women to generate wealth as well as prioritise their health.
The conference held at the Shippers House in Accra on Thursday, March 5, 2026, was on the theme, “Championing Inclusive healthcare and finance systems for African women and girls.”
Speaking on behalf of Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Sabia Kpekata, Programme Officer at the Ministry, said, Financial inclusion remains one of the most critical pathways to women’s empowerment and achieving sustainable development.
According to the minister, it is for this reason that the government continues to support initiatives that expand access to affordable credit, strengthen women-led enterprises and build financial literacy.
“Institutions such as MASLOC, the Women’s Development Bank and other targeted financing mechanisms play a critical role in closing the financial inclusion gap,” she added.
Against this backdrop, she stated that the passage of the Affirmative Action (Gender Equity) Act, 2024 (Act 1121), further strengthens this agenda. By mandating progressive representation of women in decision-making spaces across public and private sectors, the Act ensures that women are not only beneficiaries of financial and healthcare systems, but architects of those systems.
“Women must sit at the policy table where budgets are approved, health priorities are set, and economic policies are designed. This is why the Ministry calls on all stakeholders to push for the effective implementation of the Affirmative Act,” she stated.
Furthermore, she noted that the conference called on everyone to move inclusion from talk to action, incorporating it in budgets, laws, health systems and corporate policies.
She added that the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection is committed to partnering with stakeholders to build inclusive healthcare and financial systems that serve every woman and girl, regardless of location, income, or social status.
“Let us strive to build a Ghana where opportunity is not determined by gender and where systems are designed to uplift, protect and empower,’ she noted.
Addressing the gathering, the Deputy Chief of Staff, Nana Oye Bampoe Addo, said many women suffer from mental health issues as a result of health financing, adding that this is why President Mahama has initiated the Accra Reset to tackle issues relating to women.
Additionally, she commended the Ghana Enterprises Agency for consistently promoting women entrepreneurs.
Nana Oye Bampoe further touched on some government initiatives targeted at women, adding that the government is intentional about women’s empowerment.
On his part, the convener, Nana Yaa Serwaa Sarpong, said, “Today is not just a conference – It is a declaration. It is a declaration that African women and girls will no longer stand at the margins of systems that determine their health, their wealth, and their future.”
According to her, it is a declaration that sustainability is not a slogan for them, rather, it is a strategy, a commitment and a promise.
She said the greatest resource any organisation, community, nation or continent has is its human resources, adding that the continent’s economic prosperity depends on the quality, productivity and capacity of its labour force, including men, women and young people.
The convener noted that where both genders have equal opportunities and operate at near optimal levels, there will be greater economic Expansion and output for the prosperity of all Africans
Additionally, she stated that to drive inclusive economic growth, reduce poverty, amongst others, there is a need for an intentional and clear alignment to economic and social dynamics in specific contexts.
“This will in turn positively impact the involvement and contributions to drive the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the overall economic prosperity of Africa,” she added.
She further stated that as 2030 approaches, WISA which officially launched on May 1, 2025 in Partnership with the UN Global Compact on behalf of all Women of Africa and of African Descent, will mark a new beginning to accelerate growth towards the closure of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) gaps, by being deliberate to center women at the heart of implementation and compliance.
The Chief Executive Officer of GoldBod Jewellery, Getrude Emefa Donkor, said, Saving alone cannot make one financially sound, adding that investing and having other sources of income is the best way to go.
She also provided some tips for women, calling for discipline in spending, and consistency in saving behaviour, as well as inculcating the habit of budgeting.
WiSA is a Coordinating Pan-African Organization that works with other CSOs, NGOs, Corporate Institutions, local and International Development Organizations and individuals to bring all women, men, young people and women groups together (especially those at the grassroots level) to foster the achievement of the SDGs across Africa.
WiSA stands for the development of new perspectives and catalytic ideas towards accelerating growth for the achievement of the SDGs, including closing the Gender Inequality gap.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
News
Promoting Gender Equity In Governance: Felicia Adjei highlights importance of proportional representation
The Member of Parliament for Kintampo South, Felicia Adjei, has made a statement in Parliament on the importance of proportional representation in promoting gender equity in governance.
Speaking in parliament yesterday, she noted that the Affirmative Action (Gender Equity) Act, 2024 (Act 1121) was a bold step toward encouraging women’s participation, but laws alone cannot guarantee fairness if the electoral system does not support inclusion.
She explained that proportional representation, particularly through Gender-Balance or “zebra” lists where parties alternate between male and female candidates, could help ensure equal opportunities for women in leadership.
The Kintampo MP was of the view that such a system promotes fairness by design rather than leaving representation to chance.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
