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Women In Sustainability Africa has been launched
Women In Sustainability Africa (WiSA)has been launched to mark a new beginning to accelerate growth towards the closure of the gender inequality gap.
The event, which was held on Thursday, May 1, 2025, at the Wesley Towers in Accra, brought together stakeholders to drive the sustainability agenda.
Speaking at the launch, the convenor for WiSA, Nana Yaa Serwaa Sarpong, said when God created the earth, He urged both men and women to be fruitful, take dominion and multiply.
“Gender inequality gap cannot be closed by women alone, when God created the earth, he empowered both the man and woman together and he said be fruitful and take dominion,” she noted.
Against this backdrop, she said if the gender equality gap can close, there must be catalytic efforts that causes a revolution in order to achieve such goal.
She said, therefore, there is a need for unity; men and women standing together, because there is strength in togetherness.
She said, this is the new beginning of gender empowerment and the new wave which must be propagated across Africa without any antagonism
“That’s why it is an African agenda we need to stand together, there is strength in numbers.The door of success we seek to enter as women, the men are holding the keys to the room, if you fight with them how do we enter the room ?,” she quizzed.
The key to bridging the gender inequality gap is two pronged. First is men standing side by side with women and secondly is the recognition of women as a source of labour with positive return on every investment that is made to build capacity in women.
Against this backdrop, she said if governments invest in women, there would be a return on investment, because if she were a subsistence farmer, “now she would be doing industrial farming, that is a higher productivity and higher capacity, and the GDP will improve.”
Nana Yaa Serwaa Sarpong said, the organisation will work with men, he for she champions, CSOs, Corporate Institutions, local and International Development Organisations to bring all women and women groups together (especially those at the grassroots level) to foster the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) across Africa.
Speaking at the event, the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr.Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, said, recognising the proportionate impact of climate change on women, the Ministry has developed a roadmap to strengthen the gender responsiveness of social protection programmes.
According to her, this initiative aims to ensure that their interventions are inclusive, equitable and effective in building resilience among vulnerable populations.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I’m pleased to use this occasion to announce that in alignment with WiSA’s vision, the Ministry will launch a campaign dubbed Women Labour Day, ” she revealed.
This campaign will be celebrated as part of the activities of May 1, and throughout the month of May every year.
She disclosed that in partnership with WiSA and other stakeholders, the Ministry will work towards using this campaign to nationally and continentally recognise women as sources of labour and agents of sustainability.
she said, this campaign would be rolled out in schools, media platforms and community spaces.
“Let this be more than a summit, let it be a starting point for renewed action and strengthened alliances. Let us charge forward as a united force where women are seen, heard, valued and empowered to lead sustainability,” she further added.
The Minister concluded by saying, “To all men who lift women as equals, with women, we stand with you,together we will build a sustainable Africa.”
The Minister of State in charge of Climate Change and Sustainability, Issifu Seidu, on his part said, “African women have always been the backbone of our communities, playing key roles in agriculture, healthcare, education, and the informal economy. However, their contributions remain undervalued and underappreciated in many spheres of society.”
“Today, as we launch WiSA, we take a stand to change that. Women are not just a part of the labour force—they are the driving force behind our sustainable future. From climate adaptation to community development, women’s roles are not only vital but central to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),” he stated.
“We cannot achieve lasting environmental and economic stability unless we address the gender imbalances that still exist in many sectors, particularly in those related to climate action and green energy,”he said.
The Minister further said, WiSA’s vision to establish a Resource & Research Centre dedicated to tracking and promoting women’s contributions to sustainability could not be more timely or necessary.
Additionally, Minister for Labour, Rashid Pelpuo in his address said, the core of existence of any nation is the woman and the sustainability of the economy is as a result of the participation.
At all levels he had worked, he came to the realisation that to achieve success, you need both males and females.
He, therefore, encouraged women to be conscious about the role they play in society, adding that where there is a difference and women are disregarded, there would be a problem.
He announced that his ministry is working to amend the current Labour law to recognise the position of women in the country’s workforce.
The flagbearer of Social Democratic Party of Nigeria, Adewole Adebayor called for a borderless Africa, where Africans can easily trade amongst themselves for economic development.
“Luckily for us, our cultural background and experiences under colonial power is the same, it is on the basis of this I will infuse Nigerian capital into it. And if you’re sustainable and come with a sustainable plan we can start with a modest contribution to this programme. On that basis we can work with this programme which we can support with One Million dollars,” he concluded.
The Programme organised by Women In Sustainability Africa (WiSA) was in collaboration with the Ministry of Gender Children and Social Protection, the Ministry of Labour, Jobs and Employment, and Ministry of State for Climate Change and Sustainability, MASLOC, the League of Extraordinary Women Network, The UN Global Compact and EIB Network , among others.
AngloGold Ashanti Obuasi Mine has broken ground on a modern 1,500-seater multipurpose assembly hall and a secured main gatehouse for New Edubiase Senior High School, in the Adansi South District.
The project, being executed by local contractor AA Engineering and Construction, is expected to be completed within 17 months and forms part of the Mine’s 10-Year Socio-Economic Development Plan (SEDP) — a strategic framework for delivering sustainable development in its host communities.
Beyond the expansive assembly hall, the facility will house a fully integrated administrative complex featuring a dedicated sound room, a 16-seater staff eatery, and suites for the Headmaster and Assistant Headmaster, a bursar’s office, an 18-seater conference room, a 24-seater staff common room, six faculty office spaces and ancillary stores and washrooms.
Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony, the Mine’s Director of Sustainability Management, Edmund Oduro Agyei, reaffirmed the company’s commitment to improving educational outcomes in host communities through impactful and sustainable investments.
The Edubiasehene, Guahyia Oduropanin Birikorang, commended the Mine for the investment, saying the project demonstrated that the company’s development agenda extended well beyond its immediate operational areas.
The Headmaster of New Edubiase SHS, Mr Christopher Appiah Mensah, described the intervention as timely and transformative, noting it would address longstanding infrastructure deficits, improve conditions for teaching and learning, and create adequate space for academic and social gatherings.
“This will greatly enhance administrative efficiency and improve the overall welfare of both staff and students,” he said.
The facility is also expected to boost the school’s capacity to host national examinations and major events, and strengthen its standing as a centre of academic excellence within the district.
From Kingsley E. Hope, Kumasi
Stakeholders have been urged to help raise awareness and eliminate the stigma often associated with clubfoot, a treatable condition which occurs in children.
Parents are to seek early treatment for the condition while policymakers strengthen support for early detection, disability inclusion, and child health services in the country.
Clubfoot is a condition present at birth in which one or both feet are twisted inward and downward. If left untreated, experts say a child may face lifelong challenges with walking, which could affect education, employment, and social inclusion.
In Ghana, an estimated 1,000 babies are said to be born with clubfoot every year.
In commemoration of the World Clubfoot Day, marked on June 3 every year, stakeholders create awareness about the condition and, among other things, celebrate the dedication of health professionals who ensure children receive treatment.
In a release copied to the Ghana News Agency, Nana Afua Adutwumwaa Adjetey, Programme Manager, Ghana Clubfoot Programme, noted that many families were unaware of the free treatment available for the condition in Ghana. 
She observed that the lack of awareness continued to delay treatment for children who could have received prompt and life-changing care at no cost.
Treatment, she said, was provided free of charge for children under age five at Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG–Hope Walks) partner clinics across the country.
More than 9,000 children born with clubfoot had received treatment and care through the programme over the past 18 years.
“The treatment follows the internationally recognised Ponseti Method, which uses a series of gentle casts to gradually correct the position of the foot, followed by a brace to maintain correction and prevent relapse. When treatment begins early, success rates are extremely high,” Madam Adjetey explained.
“For many children, the journey begins with a health worker who identifies clubfoot at birth and makes a referral. A few moments of observation can change the course of a child’s life forever.”
“Clubfoot is not a curse; it is not caused by wrongdoing…it is a medical condition that can be treated successfully. Families should never feel ashamed to seek help.”
The Programme Manager said children born with the condition deserved equal opportunities, dignity, and inclusion, and called on communities to support parents rather than “judge them.” -GNA
