Women, children urged to stand up against injustices

Tamale, July 21, GNA - Madam Augustina Naaso, a trainer at the Provincial Mothers' Union of the Anglican Church of the Province of West Africa, has called on women and children to stand up against all forms of abuse that impact negatively on their development.

She said they should fight against injustice, bad governance, corruption and irresponsible leadership since these were some of the issues that had contributed immensely to under-development. She noted that total debts cancellation of poor nations would be of no benefit if society, especially women and children, remained silent on the misuse, misappropriation and corruption and embezzlement of such funds.

Madam Naaso made the call at a five-day provincial training workshop organised by the Union for the Province of West Africa Anglican Communion in Tamale on Thursday.

Some 18 women leaders of the Anglican Church are attending the workshop, which is on the theme: "Making our voices heard". The theme is derived from the slogan "Make poverty history", which is a worldwide agenda for the G8 and other heads of states for Africa and the world at large to fight poverty.

The workshop aims at building the capacity of women and children to fight poverty in the communities. Madam Naaso said the Union believed that the paradigm of church organisation in the 21st century should not concern itself on only the spiritual and physical needs of their members

and the church, but also on issues that concern civil society. She said: "Women and children are the common people within our society who do not have power, wealth or any other form of influence over issues that directly concern them."

She therefore, called for the empowerment of women and children to make them aware of the responsibilities of governments worldwide to address primary health care, the reduction of poverty and hunger, as well as the promotion of gender equality.

Madam Naaso said it was also the responsibility of governments to provide universal basic education for all, fight HIV/AIDS, malaria and to ensure environmental sustainability.

Speaking on the theme, Mr. Samuel Zan, Country Director of Social Enterprise Development Foundation (SEND) of West Africa, an NGO, urged women leaders to work towards engaging institutions of governance such as the state and the church "to make your voices heard on issues that affect your lives."