Women Empowerment: How Critical Is It To National Development?

The Author

Address delivered at the Danquah Institute’s Symposium on Women Empowerment and National Development held at the Centre for African Wetlands Auditorium, University of Ghana on 27/11/17

I am privileged to get the opportunity to lead a team to organize this symposium and also welcome the gathering. I am deeply thankful to the Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Prof. Mike Oquaye for accepting to chair this program. I am also indebted to Her Excellency, Mrs. Konadu Agyeman Rawlings, founder and leader of the National Democratic Party; Prof. Ama de-Graft Aikins, Dean, International Programs, University of Ghana; Hon. Mrs. Gifty Ohene Konadu, Cordinator, One District One Factory; and Mrs. Angela Dwamena-Aboagye, Executive Director, the Ark Foundation for accepting to be resource persons at this important function. To the distinguished audience, you are warmly welcome.

There is no denying the fact that women play a significant role in societies. Their contribution towards the socio-economic development of nations is so crucial and critical to the extent that their continuous neglect, especially in the decision-making process will be injurious and detrimental to the progress and sustenance of societies. Women keep our homes, and do so greatly; likewise, if given the opportunity and support in the process of nation building, they are likely going to add to the value of society. We always say that the greatness of men is not without the anchor of a woman; what we fail to recognize is that the greatness of nations is also as a result of the support of women. Without the support of women, nations will struggle, and posterity will be disadvantaged. As a society, we should start appreciating the relevance of women in order to cash in on their enormous skill-sets, competencies and ideas to make us improved upon our socioeconomic fortunes.

Historically, women have been placed either deliberately or inadvertently on the back-burner when it comes to decision-making or involvement in the governance of nations. This historical antecedent has reared its ugly head even in the 21^st century, which is an unfortunate development. In this modern era, we need to respond to societal needs, challenges, and dynamics by removing barriers and impediments that hinder the development and progress of all, especially the girl-child and women. Societies need all its citizenry to ensure her effective progress, prosperity and consolidation.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712–78)—one of the earliest philosophers prescribed fundamentally distinct education for boys and girls, and in doing so he raised issues concerning gender and its place in education that are of central concern today. While he is often credited with a view of human equality, especially men, he did not include women fully in his proposition of equality. According to him, women are weaker and less rational than men, and must depend on men. He indicated that men desire women, but do not need them; women, however, both desire men and need them. He therefore placed women at a subservient role to men, and opined that since the main purpose of women is to be a wife and mother; her educational needs should differ significantly from men. Although some of his contemporaries contend that he was being ironic, such statements belittle the intelligence and value of women. Interestingly, in his Confessions, which was written later in his life, he acknowledged the role of several specific women in gaining him entrance into the intellectual spheres of society. Rousseau, thus, latterly appreciated the relevance of women in the life of men. It is difficult to do it without women.

Later on in the early part of the 20^th century (in the 1920s), Dr. James Aggrey who was the Assistant Vice-Principal of the Prince of Wales College (Now Achimota School), campaigned vigorously for women's education at a time when the idea was not popular, and held the belief that to educate a man was to educate an individual, while educating a woman had more far-reaching benefits to family and community. This led to an increase in the number of places offered to girls by the College. In this day and age, we need more of the Dr. Aggreys to help society recognize and appreciate the inherent treasure and wisdom in the idea of encouraging or promoting women to actively engage in societal decision-making and governance.

According to the United States Agency for International Development and the World Bank, 57% out of the 72 million primary school aged children who do not go to school are females. Additionally, girls are 4% less likely than boys to complete basic school (Aja-Okorie, 2013). Irrespective of the many strides made regarding the overall level of education globally and more children than ever now attending basic school, there is still not global parity in education. Jensen (2010) indicates that girls in the poorest 20% of households have the lowest opportunity of being educated and this inequality remains even in adulthood. He further states that gender inequality in education is at a peak and girls are less likely to access school, remain in school and to excel in school. Despite the almost [40 years] of the Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and [30 years] of the Convention on the Right of the Child (CRC), girls today make up of around 56% of the 77 million children out of school and women consist of two-thirds of the adults who are considered illiterate (Aja-Okorie, 2013). In Ghana for example, the overall literacy rate between women and men is 46% and 67% respectively (FAO, 2012).

It appears there is a marginal increase in the numbers of female parliamentarians in the country from 25 in 2005, to 20 in 2009 to 30 in 2013 and 35 (12.75) in 2017. According to the UNDP at a workshop in Ghana, last year, Ghana is currently ranked 150 out of 185 in the Inter-Parliamentary Union ranking on women representation in parliament across the world. Mr. Dominic Sam, UNDP Country Director, in his opening remarks, indicated that in spite of the strong democratic standing of Ghana in Africa and especially in the sub-region, its politics has largely been a contest in masculinity. He said, “Women play an important role in campaigning and mobilization of votes but are rarely considered for high-level political positions.” He further observed that the involvement of women in decision-making at the national level does not auger well for Ghana’s position in the comity of nations and therefore makes female representation a major concern in the country.

In building societies, we should be careful how we use religious views and cultural ethos to explain societal events and developments. The wrong interpretation of religious doctrines and cultural norms can deny us the opportunity of departing from the status quo and misconceptions on our minds, and remove barriers and obstacles that undermine progress and development. The woman is the pillar of the home, and can be the pillar of the country. We need to give them the opportunity to grow, the opportunity to expand their capabilities, the opportunity to contribute to the development of the nation.

We would like to plead with the Speaker of Parliament to use his huge knowledge and expertise in political governance to hasten the passage of the affirmative action bill. As we have gathered here, we intend to seek answers to the slow pace of getting women actively engaged in the governance of the nation. Specific questions to be asked include: Why women empowerment? Is affirmative action really discriminatory and does it undermine the intelligence of women? Is it justified to give women preferential treatment within the political space? Of what relevance is the affirmative action bill, and does it encourage women to actively engage in the sociopolitical development of the country? What are the barriers to, and facilitators of, academic women’s empowerment in Ghana? Who are the women to be empowered? Does it include the head potter (Kayayei), inter alia.

By Dr. Kingsley Nyarko, Executive Director, Danquah Institute, Senior Lecturer, University of Ghana