THE Times Ladies Association, a group consisting of female staff of the New Times Corporation (NTC), on Monday commemorated this year’s International Women’s Day with a call on women to empower themselves through education, unity and healthy living to contribute meaningfully to national development.

The event, held at the NTC’s boardroom, was attended by management members and staff of the corporation and was to celebrate the achievements of women and reflect on their role in society.

In her address, the President of the association, Mrs Georgina N.M Quaittoo, said the global celebration, marked annually on March 8, recognised the economic, political and social achievements of women while raising awareness about gender equality.

Although the international celebration fell on Sunday, she explained that the association decided to mark the occasion on March 9 to enable members to participate fully and commemorate the day in their own way.

Speaking on this year’s theme: ‘Rights. Justice. Action. For All Women and Girls,’ and the global campaign theme: ‘Give to Gain,’ she the association had over the years worked tirelessly to support the growth and progress of the corporation despite the challenges they faced.

Urged members to commit themselves to deeper service to humanity and the advancement of women. She said women were unique, resilient and invaluable to society, stating that they deserved respect, appreciation, kindness and love for the vital roles they played in families, workplaces and communities.

According to her, members of the President, who is also the Editor of The Spectator newspaper, encouraged members to empower themselves academically and take advantage of opportunities to improve their lives and careers.

She also urged them to maintain healthy lifestyles by going for regular medical check-ups, exercise regularly, get enough rest and support one another.

Moreover, she advised members to accept leadership positions when given the opportunity and to exhibit qualities such as hard work, confidence, patience, compassion and responsibility in both their homes and workplaces.

Contributing, the Chanel Marketing and Circulation Manager, Mr Alfred Koomson, said women played critical roles in society and deserved to be supported and appreciated.

He urged men to recognise that they were often vulnerable species without the care, support and contributions of women in their lives.

He, therefore, commended women for the invaluable roles they play as mothers, caregivers, professionals and leaders, stressing that society would be incomplete without them.

By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu

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A former Sec ond Lady, Mrs Matilda Amis sah-Arthur, has called for urgent action to bridge literacy gaps among young girls in the country to advance gender equality.

She stressed that improving lit eracy among girls was essential not only for women’s empowerment but also for national development.

“Addressing the literacy gap is not a woman’s issue. It is a nation al necessity and, with the passing of the Affirmative Action (Gender Equality) Act, 2024, Ghana is signalling that women belong in leadership, but leadership begins with a book,” she said.

Mrs Amissah-Arthur made the call at an event organised by the Ghana Library Authority (GLA) in Accra yesterday to mark Interna tional Women’s Day (IWD) on the theme: “Her Voice in Libraries: Women Transforming Literacy in Ghana.”

According to her, many girls in Ghana still drop out of school due to poverty, lack of mentorship and limited support systems, warning that without deliberate interven tions some risk becoming part of worrying national statistics.

The former Second Lady encouraged students, particularly girls, to see education not only as a tool for personal advancement but also as a means of empowering future generations.

“Don’t shy away from STEM and ICT subjects. Break into the male-dominated areas and bridge the digital divide,” she added.

Mrs Amissah-Arthur also called for stronger partnerships between men and women in advancing gen der equality, stressing that the issue should be viewed as a national development priority rather than solely a women’s concern.

“Gender equality is not a woman’s issue. It is a development issue. It requires partnership, respect and shared responsibility,” she said.

She further expressed opti mism that with the right support systems, every child, regardless of gender, could achieve their full potential.

In a remark, the Chief Director of the Ministry of Education, Lydia Essuah, said that despite progress made in promoting gender equality in the education sector, challenges remained in ensuring progression, completion and quality learning outcomes for all learners.

She highlighted the important role of libraries in advancing liter acy and lifelong learning skills, and called for increased investment in library infrastructure and services to help build a knowledge-driven society.

The Executive Director of the Ghana Library Authority, Alhassan Ziblim Bentintiche, also under scored the importance of libraries in empowering young people, par ticularly girls, with access to books, digital resources and mentorship opportunities.

He disclosed plans to expand Ghana’s library infrastructure and services to particularly attract the youth and promote literacy.

BY ABIGAIL ANNOH