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Women urged to champion peace, religious tolerance at Ahmadiyya peace symposium
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Religious leaders, gender advocates and peacebuilding experts have called for stronger collaboration among women, faith-based organisations and state institutions to promote peace, religious tolerance and national cohesion amid growing global insecurity.
The call was made at the Third Peace Symposium organised by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Women Association (Lajna Ima’illah Ghana) on the theme: “Building a Peaceful World: The Role of Women.”
The symposium brought together representatives of various religious groups, civil society organisations and peace institutions to discuss the role of women in fostering peaceful coexistence.
Ms Amina Bin Salih, a Gender Consultant and member of Lajna Ima’illah Ghana, said the symposium sought to dispel misconceptions about Islam by projecting its true teachings of peace, justice and compassion.
She observed that although Islam had often been misunderstood or misrepresented, its core message remained one of peaceful coexistence and respect for humanity.
“The true teachings of Islam are about peace, embracing everyone and living harmoniously with one another,” she said.
Ms Salih, in her keynote speech revisited the teachings of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him), the Promised Messiah and the institution of Khilafat, describing spiritual leadership as essential to preserving the authentic teachings of Islam.
She stressed that sustained advocacy for peace was necessary at a time of increasing global conflicts and insecurity.
“We must continue inviting people to peace because if we stop speaking about peace, nothing changes. We need to return to our Creator and sincerely practise the values our faiths teach,” she stated.
On the role of women, Ms Salih described them as agents of change capable of influencing families and communities through their nurturing responsibilities.
“When women embrace peace, they influence their children and families to do the same. Children must be raised to understand the true teachings of religion so they grow into responsible and peaceful citizens,” she added.
She noted that despite progress in advancing gender equality, persistent challenges, including domestic violence and other forms of gender-based violence, required sustained public education and stronger institutional responses.
Mrs Levinia Addae-Mensah, Executive Director of the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP), said the symposium underscored two critical pillars of sustainable peacebuilding: religion and women’s leadership.
She said religion should not merely be practised as a ritual but reflected in everyday conduct, adding that genuine faith should inspire compassion, justice and peaceful coexistence.
“The event reminded me that irrespective of our different faiths, what matters is how we live our lives and the relationship we maintain with God,” she said.
Mrs Addae-Mensah also challenged prevailing narratives that portray women as passive participants in peacebuilding, insisting that women were already leading peace initiatives in communities across the country.
“Women are not waiting to be included. Women are already building peace and leading peaceful processes in many communities,” she noted.
The symposium saw some invitees from different religions and traditions in attendance and some participants given special peace award.
Hajia Anisa Nasirudeen Iddris, National President of Lajna Ima’illah Ghana, said the decision to invite leaders from different religious traditions reflected the association’s commitment to promoting interfaith dialogue as a tool for peace.
She said no single religious organisation could achieve lasting peace alone, stressing that collective voices carried greater influence in addressing violence and instability.
“Women and children suffer the most whenever there is conflict. That is why women across all faiths must unite to advocate for peace and inspire positive action,” she said.
Hajia Iddris explained that Islam encouraged peaceful coexistence and respect for followers of all religions, noting that humanity’s shared responsibility should transcend religious and ethnic differences. GNA
Residents of Brodi, a farming community in the Tain District of the Bono Region, have been left in shock and mourning following the alleged murder of a 45-year-old woman by her husband, who later died by suicide.
According to information gathered by the Ghana News Agency (GNA), the suspect, popularly known as Kwabena Jack, believed to be in his 50s, allegedly attacked and killed his wife, Abena Donkor, while the couple were working on their farm on Monday, August 11, 2026.
Mr Kingsley Obah, Assembly Member for the Brodi Electoral Area, confirmed the incident to the GNA.
He explained that after news of the woman’s death spread through the community, residents launched a search for the suspect. His lifeless body was later discovered in a nearby bush on Tuesday, August 12, 2026.
Police have since conveyed both bodies to the Tain District Government Hospital, where they have been deposited for preservation and autopsy.
Investigations into the incident are ongoing. -GNA
Hawkers and roaming preachers have taken over the five-metre high Madina REDCO footbridge and adjoining streets, making it increasingly difficult for pedestrians to use the facility intended to promote safe road crossing.
The traders have virtually turned sections of the footbridge into a marketplace, displaying their wares on the floor using jute sacks, plastic sheets and metal trays, while others have occupied both sides of the walkway with their merchandise.
Foodstuffs such as okro, garden eggs, pepper, onions, dried fish, smoked fish, grains, spices and other groceries are openly sold on the footbridge and along the roadside, forcing pedestrians to weave through the crowded path.
Clothing and fashion accessories including slippers, brassieres, panties, socks, bags and other household items are also displayed for sale, leaving only limited space for commuters to use.
The situation is worsened by the presence of itinerant preachers who position themselves on the footbridge with public address systems to evangelise, drawing crowds to further obstruct pedestrian movement.
Head porters are also seen crossing the highway through the median while carrying heavy loads instead of using the footbridge, exposing themselves to the danger of being knocked down by speeding vehicles.
Also, portions of the footbridge are showing signs of deterioration. Several metal railings are rusted, bent and loosely secured with pieces of wire, raising concerns about the safety of users, especially children, the elderly and persons with disabilities.
Sections of the concrete surface are worn and chipped, while makeshift wooden supports attached to parts of the structure suggest temporary repairs.
After a visit by The Spectator last week, it emerged that many commuters preferred crossing the busy Madina Highway instead of using the footbridge because of the congestion created by the trading and preaching activities.
For years, successive attempts by the police, the military and the La Nkwantanang Madina Municipal Assembly to address congestion around the REDCO and Zongo Junction enclave have yielded little success, with the area becoming notorious for roadside trading, indiscriminate parking and pedestrians refusing to use the footbridge.
A pedestrian, who gave her name only as Maame Yaa, described the situation as worrying, saying the footbridge, which was constructed to protect lives, had gradually lost its purpose because of the growing encroachment by traders and preachers.
According to her, many pedestrians were discouraged from using the facility because navigating through the crowded walkway had become difficult and uncomfortable.
She appealed to the La Nkwantanang Madina Municipal Assembly and other relevant authorities to intensify enforcement to prevent unauthorised trading and other activities on the footbridge and ensure it served its intended purpose of promoting pedestrian safety.
However, during the visit, personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) were seen carrying out a decongestion exercise to remove hawkers from sections of the roadside around the footbridge as part of efforts to improve public safety and ease the movement of both pedestrians and motorists.
The exercise forms part of a pilot project initiated by the Municipal Fire Commander for Madina, Division Officer II (DO II) Abdul Salia, who assumed command of the Madina Municipal Fire Station three months ago.
Speaking in an interview with The Spectator, DO II Abdulai Salia, who is also a long time resident of the community, said the month long project began on July 1 and ended on July 31, with 30 firefighters deployed daily to regulate traffic, clear hawkers from the streets and footbridge, and create access for emergency vehicles.
Continued on page 12
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
