News
Yes, enough is enough
It has been said that when you compare yourself with others, two things can happen and both are harmful: you may decide you are better than other people, or you may conclude that other people are better than you, which will leave you feeling unsettled dissatisfied and discouraged. As one commentator observed: “For some people, the pleasure of having something good is drained as soon as they see someone else with something better. Our sense of contentment is created or destroyed by comparisons. A life consumed with unfulfilled wants is an affliction. The antidote is the concept of ‘enough.’”
It’s a common tendency to measure our self-worth by our possessions. But the world’s happiest people are not the most prosperous—they have simply learned to distinguish between needs and wants, between sufficiency and abundance. They still set goals, strive for excellence and do their best to succeed. But their peace and contentment come more from what they give than from what they have. They know that “enough is enough.”
We all know such happy people; they’re found all over the world, in every social class and economic situation. We know people who also seem to have so much but remain unsatisfied. The truth is, we can never acquire enough of what we don’t really need. Endlessly searching and striving for more and better can lead to sleepless nights and unhappy days. The sooner we discover the joy of “enough,” the sooner we will find peace, even in the midst of life’s reversals and misfortunes.
When we’re young, we think about how much better life will be when we have more money. When we’re older and have more money, we look back and remember the happy times when we had so little. Almost everywhere we turn, money seems to be a focal point. Game shows and lotteries hold out the succulent carrot of being rich. It becomes the dream of many—too often at a very high cost.
Most of us are familiar with the phrase “Money is the root of all evil.” Money has its rightful place—we need it to pay for the necessities of life. It’s not money that’s the root of evil, but rather the love of money. To spend life in constant pursuit of making more and more can become an obsession. The goal to be wealthy can take over a person’s life. Henry Fielding observed, “Make money your god, [and] it will plague you like the devil.” When it becomes our driving force, it’s then that we lose sight of what really matters.
A man took a serious look at his life and determined that it had become out of balance. Climbing the financial ladder of success was eating up the precious days, weeks and years of his young family’s life. He realised that too soon his children would be grown and gone, and that his relationship with his wife was gradually diminishing into the shadow of his corporate career. He made the difficult decision to step down a rung on the ladder of success and give himself more time with his family. Ancient Chinese wisdom says, “He who knows he has enough is rich.”
A woman who had worked hard to achieve the position of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of a company, spending nearly every waking hour on the job, came to the realisation that enough is enough. She and her husband re-evaluated their life goals and what they wanted to do with their time. She decided to quit work, and he to cut back on his hours. They now have time to enjoy each other and their children, and have time also to serve in their church and community. It’s no longer important for them to drive new fancy cars nor have a big, elaborate home. They have genuine joy in their life. Money has now taken its place as their friend instead of their enemy.
One elderly woman learned this truth as she adjusted to her new home. It was much smaller than the house where she raised her family, but she grew to love the window that looked out on the courtyard. She became grateful for a smaller kitchen, fewer rooms to dust and decorate, but just enough space to welcome her loved ones. Her new home was enough to meet her needs, and she was happy in it.
Yes, improvement and betterment are vital, but bigger is not always better, and less is often more. Ultimately, the most fortunate people are not those who have what they want but those who want what they have.
By Samuel Enos Eghan
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
