WiLDAF slams gov't for excluding women in Economic Advisory Council

Women in Law and Development in Africa (WiLDAF) Ghana has slammed the government for not including women on the Economic Advisory Council (EAC) set up by the government on Tuesday.

According to WiLDAF, there were competent women economists who could serve on the council, saying it was not only men who had the wisdom to advise the President on economic issues.

The National Programme Coordinator of WiLDAF Ghana, Ms. Bernice Sam, stated this at the launch of the Rural Empowerment Programme in Accra yesterday.

She added that the government had failed woefully to honour promises made to the Ghanaian women in the run-up to the last general elections.

The Rural Empowerment Programme has been initiated by the WiLDAF-West Africa Office, and funded by the Millennium Development Goal three (MDG3) Fund, an initiative of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The programme aims at contributing to the realisation of the MDG3, which is “eliminating gender disparity at all levels,” and the beneficiary countries are Ghana, Benin, Burkina Faso, Togo and Cote d'Ivoire.

The programme is being piloted in Sege and Amasaman, both in the Greater Accra Region, and is expected to benefit 50 women in these areas.

Ms. Sam observed that despite women's contribution in agriculture, especially women in rural areas, they continued to encounter serious violations of their rights in their communities.

She mentioned forced marriage, female genital mutilation, levirate and violence against women, among others.

Ms. Sam indicated, “In order to maximise the chances to achieve the MDGs, it is important to ensure that women effectively enjoy their rights that are recognised.

This is only possible if they know these rights, and demand their respect by individuals and government officials who are responsible for the implementation of basic human rights.”

The National Women's Leader of the Farmers Organisation Network in Ghana (FONG), Mrs. Lydia Sasu, whose organisation is collaborating with the WiLDAF Ghana to roll out the programme, noted that women formed the bulk of agricultural labour in the world.