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28.11.2022 Social News

Swiss Ambassador commends gov’t for women empowerment drive

Swiss Ambassador commends govt for women empowerment drive
28.11.2022 LISTEN

The Swiss Ambassador to Ghana, Mrs Simone Giger has commended President Akufo-Addo for giving meaning to women empowerment by offering a lot of key leadership positions to females.

She said this would go a long way to recognise the potential of women in the nation building.

She noted that the inclusion of women in such key positions will not only increase their participation in governance but would also encourage more females to aspire to greater heights.

Mrs Simone Giger gave the commendation when she called on the Bono Regional Minister, Justina Owusu Banahene, to formally introduce herself to the region and explore possible areas of collaboration.

Some of the areas of cooperation that are of interest include climate change, women empowerment, cultural exchange, skills training and sister-city relationship, among others.

Inclusiveness

Mrs Simone Giger observed that women in leadership tend to prioritise policies that improve lives for everyone including quality education, health, tourism and social justice and are also considered to adopt more empathetic, collaborative and consensus building leadership styles that are key to inclusive national progress.

The Bono Regional Minister, Justina Owusu Banahene, said women's participation in decision making is not just a right, but also key to sustainable development.

“In a democracy, it is important that every part of the population is equally represented. “Having both men and women involved in decision-making broadens the perspectives, increases creativity and innovation, diversifies the pool of talents and competencies, reduces conflicts, and improves the process of decision-making. Indeed, women’s participation in decision making in general has benefits not only to women but to the general society as a whole”, she said.

Madam Owusu Banahene reiterated that there is evidence that having more women in public and private decision making increases the general level of public sector effectiveness and accountability in a country.

This, she further said, is particularly relevant as the country seeks to recover from the impact of COVID-19 that affected the fibre of the Ghanaian economy. She added that women are often dynamic leaders of change who galvanize women and men to get involved, claim their rights, and strengthen their communities to be resilient.

Later in the day, the Regional Minister led the Swiss Ambassador to capacity building and skills training in soap making to improve the livelihoods of some 60 beneficiaries at Osofokrom, near Korasua in the Sunyani municipality.

It was organized by the Kavinang Foundation, a Non-Governmental Organization, which is focused on community development and women's economic empowerment.

Richard Kofi Boahen
Richard Kofi Boahen

Bono, Bono East and Ahafo CorrespondentPage: RichardBoahen

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