Media Practitioners Attend Seminar On CEDAW

The Ministry of Women and Children's Affairs (MOWAC) has organised a seminar to brief and sensitise Media Practioners on Ghana's 3rd, 4th,and 5th Periodic Reports to the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Discriminations Against Women (CEDAW) and recommended actions, in Accra last monday.

The seminar forms part of Ghana's obligation to co-ordinate and ensure implementation of recommended actions by Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and other stakeholders.

CEDAW was adopted by United Nations General Assembly in 1979 to reinforce the provisions of existing international instruments designed to combat the continuing discrimination against women and identify many specific areas where there has been discriminations against women such as political rights, marriage and family and employment.

A Director of MOWAC, Mrs Marian A. Tackie, who made the presentation on the overview of CEDAW and status of implementation noted that the convention recognises the need for change in attitudes, through education of both men and women to accept equality of rights and responsibilities and to overcome prejudices and practices based on stereotyped roles.

She also stated that the Convention has 16 substantive provisions and that the incorporation into Ghana's domestic law is by the piecemeal method and not by the wholesale method.

Mrs Tackie mentioned some measures that have been implemented such as the establishment of a Domestic Violence Law Implementation secretariat, practices such as Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and Trokosi have been Criminalised and Sensitisation programmes are on- going to educate communities on the law and implications of breaking the law among others.

The Representative of UN system, Madam Doris Mawuse Aglobitse, said the role of the UN in Ghana has been in the area of providing Technical Assistance as well as some funding to the Ministry and other NGO's to implement programmes that are of benefit to women and girls.

'The UN system in Ghana will continue to provide support in these areas based on what the government presents as its area of priority' she added.