Accra: As the world celebrates the International Women's Day, the Association of Women in the Media (ASWIM) has called for intensified efforts to end child marriage and harmful practices which hinder girls' empowerment in Ghana. Despite legal frameworks, these issues persist stealing girls' future, necessitating stronger law enforcement, community education to shift deep-seated cultural norms that fuel child marriage and gender-based discriminations.
According to Ghana News Agency, ASWIM in a statement signed by Mrs. Mavis Kitcher, president of the association and copied the GNA, observed that economic support for families, particularly in vulnerable communities, was key to eliminate financial incentives for child marriage. Ghana's 2021 Population and Housing Census showed that women made up 50.7% of Ghana's total population, with a significant number being girls and young women under the age of 35. This underscores the urgent need for deliberate investments in their education, skills development, and protection from harmful practices.
The International Women's Day celebration is marked on every March 8 by the global community to reaffirm the commitment to gender equality and women's empowerment, and this year's theme was 'For all Women and Girls: Rights, Equality, Empowerment'. ASWIM called for expansion of girls' access to Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), as economics had become Tech-driven to ensure gender inclusion in STEM as well as gender-inclusive policies in schools, to encourage more girls to pursue STEM careers.
According to the statement, one of the critical areas requiring attention was the full enforcement of the Affirmative Action and Gender Equity law, essential for increasing women's participation in leadership and decision-making roles. 'While Ghana has made commendable progress, prioritising the law's implementation will ensure that women have equal opportunities in politics, governance, and economic leadership,' adding that a commitment to achieving at least 40 percent representation of women at all leadership levels would correct historical imbalances.
To ensure sustainability of fair employment policies which promote recruitment, retention, and advancement of women in both public and private sectors, ASWIM called for a robust monitoring system to track compliance and hold institutions accountable. The association also used the commemoration of the day to celebrate Ghana's historic milestone of having Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyeman as the first ever female vice president.
The statement said her achievement was a testament to the boundless potential of women when given equal opportunities and a reminder that continued investments in education, leadership development, and mentorship for girls were necessary to building a society where everyone could thrive regardless of gender. While ASWIM extended a heartfelt congratulations to all women, especially the trailblazers, role models, and tireless advocates, it called on government, civil society, private sector, and all Ghanaians to take decisive action in ensuring the enforcement of policies to empower women and girls.
