Gender
Vice President Opoku-Agyemang visits five families of victims of helicopter tragedy
Vice President Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang on Tuesday led a government delegation to pay a courtesy visit on the families of the five civilian victims of the August 6 helicopter tragedy.
The visit, which was on behalf of President John Dramani Mahama, who is currently on a working visit to Japan, was to comfort the widows and children of the deceased persons, and to find out how they were doing.
The Vice President’s delegation visited the families of Dr Samuel Sarpong, Vice Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and Mr Samuel Aboagye, Deputy Director-General, National Disaster management Organisation (NADMO).
The rest were the families of Alhaji Mohammed Muniru Limuna, Deputy National Security Coordinator in-charge of Human Security; Dr Edward Kofi Omane Boamah, Defence Minister and Alhaji Dr Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, Minister of Environment, Science and Technology.
Members of the Vice President’s delegation included Mr Julius Debrah, Chief of Staff at the Presidency; Dr Valarie Sawyerr, a Senior Presidential Advisor for Governmental Affairs; Mr Alex Segbefia, Chief of Staff at the Office of the Vice President and Mr Seth Terkper, Economic Advisor to the President.
The rest are Nana Oye Bampoe Addo, Deputy Chief of Staff in-charge of Finance and Administration; Mr Fifi Fiavi Kwetey, General Secretary of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC); Hajia Shamima Muslim, Deputy Presidential Spokesperson; Nana Yaa Jantuah, a Presidential Staffer and Mr Rex Omar, Presidential Staffer.
The Limuna Family expressed gratitude to the Government for the visit, stating that the visit would go a long way to strengthen and comfort them.
Hajia Shamima Muslim, a Deputy Presidential Spokesperson, speaking to the media at the end of the visit, said President Mahama had directed that the delegation should visit each family of the deceased persons to find out how they were doing, especially the spouses and the children.
She noted that because the President was out of the jurisdiction, the Acting President, Vice President Professor Opoku-Agyemang, led the delegation to pay visitations to each one of the families of the victims of the tragedy.
She said basically, the visit was also to communicate the President’s commitment to support the families through this very difficult period and to reassure them of the pledge that he had made, especially for the families with young children, who were still in school, with the announcement of the Children’s Support Fund.
Hajia Shamima Muslim announced that a lot of donations were already coming through.
She said those who might want to also visit the Government Communication portals on how they could also donate to the Children’s Support Fund for the various victims or the families of the nation’s fallen heroes could do so.
That, she said, was also to help the Government ensure that whatever their fathers would have done for them, the Government would step in and do the same.
Touching on the adult children of the victims, Hajia Shamima Muslim said conversations were around on how to support their own aspirations; stating that it was the same commitment to them.
“So today we just came to reassure the families that the President is with them and will stand with them throughout this very difficult period,” she said.-GNA
Nana Oye Bampoe Addo, a Deputy Chief of Staff, has called for sustained legal and institutional reforms to address gender biases within Ghana’s justice system.
She urged women lawyers to build on the legacy of trailblazers who have shaped the country’s legal landscape.
Madam Bampoe Addo made the call at the maiden Biennial Conference of the Ghana Bar Association (GBA) Women’s Forum, organised in collaboration with the Ghana School of Law in Accra on Tuesday.
The event was on the theme: “The role of women lawyers in national development: honouring trailblazers.”
Madam Bampoe Addo said the progress made by women in the legal profession was not accidental but the result of years of struggle, sacrifice and determination.
She paid tribute to early trailblazers such as Matilda Foster and Annie Jiagge, saying their achievements broke barriers and opened doors for generations of women lawyers.
She commended the contributions of female judicial leaders, including Mrs Georgina Theodora Wood, Mrs Sophia Akuffo, and Mrs Gertrude Torkornoo, whose leadership reflected the growing influence of women in Ghana’s judiciary.
Women lawyers had made significant contributions across multiple sectors, including the courtroom, academia, policy development, civil society advocacy and community engagement.
Madam Bampoe Addo noted that their efforts had advanced gender equality, strengthened institutions and improved access to justice in the country.
She expressed concern about the persistent gender biases within the justice system, particularly in some judicial pronouncements that could undermine the dignity of women.
The courts, she noted, must not only deliver justice but must also communicate it in a manner that upheld respect and fairness for all parties.
“There is undervaluation of women’s unpaid domestic labour, including caregiving responsibilities, which are often overlooked in legal determinations, especially in matrimonial cases,” she added.
She called for a more progressive and context-sensitive approach to adjudication, drawing on comparative jurisprudence from other jurisdictions to ensure fairness and equity.
Madam Bampoe Addo urged legal practitioners and judges to build on progressive legal precedents and ensure that Ghana’s legal system evolved to reflect contemporary social realities.
She emphasised the importance of mentorship and inclusivity, encouraging women in leadership to create opportunities for others and support the next generation of female lawyers.
She called on young women to pursue legal careers with confidence, adding that the profession offered vast opportunities to contribute to national development.
Commissioner of Police (COP) Lydia Donkor, the Director-General of CID, said women lawyers played indispensable roles in shaping Ghana’s legal and governance systems.
They had excelled in various fields and occupied key leadership positions, contributing to policy reforms and championing justice for vulnerable groups, she added.
COP Donkor paid tribute to trailblazing women lawyers whose achievements continued to inspire and motivate younger generations to strive for excellence.
She urged students and young practitioners to go beyond academic successes and embrace the broader mission of promoting justice, fairness and societal transformation.
She encouraged more women lawyers to consider careers in the Ghana Police Service, describing law enforcement as a critical area where legal expertise was needed to strengthen justice delivery.
She commended the organisers of the conference for the success, saying it would encourage the next generation of women lawyers to continue to make significant contributions to Ghana’s development. – GNA
The Dzidula Pink Foundation has engaged expectant mothers on cervical cancer at a recent pregnancy clinic held at St Gregory Hospital, Budumburam in the Awutu Senya East District.
The engagement formed part of its advocacy on early cancer detection to safeguard maternal health.
It also formed part of the foundation’s broader mission to raise awareness about cancers affecting women, particularly at a time when many may be least likely to consider screening especially pregnancy and the postpartum period.
Addressing a gathering of pregnant women at the clinic, the president of the foundation, Ms Fafa Gozo, highlighted a worrying trend where a significant number of women are diagnosed with cancer around the time of delivery.
This, she noted, often results from delayed screening and limited awareness about the importance of early detection.
She educated the women about the need to prioritise their health by undertaking timely cancer screening, even while navigating the demands of pregnancy.
She reiterated that early detection remains one of the most effective ways to improve treatment outcomes and reduce mortality.
“Pregnancy should not be a reason to delay screening. In fact, it is a critical period where heightened awareness can save lives,” Ms Gozo said.
The engagement also created a platform for open dialogue, allowing the expectant mothers to ask questions, share concerns, and receive guidance from health professionals present at the clinic.
Health experts at the facility echoed the foundation’s message, underscoring that routine checks and screenings, when done early, can lead to timely interventions and better health outcomes for both mother and child.
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
