Gender Ministry Celebrates International Women’s Day with Market Women
Report by: Ben LARYEA
As part of the activities to mark this year’s International Women’s day celebration, the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection has engaged women at the Agbogboshie market in Accra in a bid to empower women in all fields of endeavours especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the Ministry, women have played a significant role at the height of the pandemic with its negative impact on the socio-economic structure and development of every household across the country.
Gender Ministry Celebrates International Women’s Day with Market Women
Speaking to a cross section of market women, Dr Afisah Zakaria, the Chief Director of MoGCSP in a speech read on her behalf said women have highlighted the need to observe the necessary COVID-19 protocols in the household by educating the family set up of hand washing under running water, wearing of nose mask and sanitising hands to curtail the spread of the virus.
She disclosed that 8th of March in every year is set aside to celebrate and honour women across the world hence the ministry acknowledges the pivotal role women have played as frontline workers during the healthcare delivery of people infected by the virus hence they must be celebrated as such.
“The gender ministry promotes and empowers women as well as gender inequalities and therefore urged women to exhibit leadership in all working endeavours and be role models for others to emulate”, she added.
Gender Ministry Celebrates International Women’s Day with Market Women
However commended the media for its tremendous support in gender reportage, adding that the Ministry will continue to forge closer ties with the journalists to enhance the work of the ministry and its allied agencies.
For her part, the Principal Nursing Officer, Regina Kodjo of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), Metro Health Directorate said the public must dispel the rumours surrounding COVID-19 vaccination exercise and explained that it has no side effects like infertility, frequent illness and other disorders.
She therefore urged women to spread the health challenges of the COVID-19 and then again stated emphatically that it’s real and urged the women to practise social distancing and observe the protocols in the market places as well as in their respective households, saying the practice have brought personal hygiene to the fore by reducing the spread of the virus.
The Chief Superintendent of DOVSSU in the Greater Accra Region, Alice Aware Caro called on women to adequately protect themselves from the virus infection and was quick to explain that the gesture will help stop the spread of the virus at market places, communities, households among others.
She tasked parents to show compassion to their children to enable them express their feelings when going through emotional and psychological challenges.
The Head, Human Trafficking Secretariat of the Gender Ministry, Ms Abena Annorbea Asare called on women to desist from travelling to the Arab world in search for greener pastures pointing out that a lot die as a result of dangerous journey on the Sahara desert and crossing of the Mediterranean sea to reach Europe and cautioned parents to stop giving out their wards on fishing expedition and other hazardous works.
Source: www.thenewindependentonline.com
