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By
Samira Larbie, RNG
Accra, April 5, GNA –
Plan International Ghana in collaboration with Global Affairs Canada
launched a new leadership initiative to help tackle the fundamental cause of gender
inequality in the country.
The initiative nicknamed,
"Women's Voice and Leadership – Ghana" seeks to build the capacity of
women's rights organizations to promote the protection of women and girls
rights and empower them in their communities and advance gender equality in
Ghana.
The five-year project,
worth 4.8 million Canadian dollars would be implemented by Plan
International Ghana in partnership with Women in Law and Development Africa
(WiLDAF-Ghana) and the Network for the Defense of Women (NETRIGHT).
It seeks to support up to 24 small and medium
local women's rights organizations to better advocate for policy changes and
legislation that has a negative impact on women and their right to provide services
advance gender equality in e-mail.
In addition, up to 65
local women's organizations would benefit from smaller grants aimed at
support innovative approaches that would create sustainable contributions for women
and girls and respond to emerging issues such as pest control and
discriminatory practices and social norms.
Mr. Salomon
TesfaMariam, national director of Plan International Ghana, said the initiative
recognized the leadership and tenacity of women's rights organizations
demonstrated over the decades in the struggle for gender equality.
The project would help
to address the two funding challenges faced by women's rights organizations
provide organizational development support and multi-year funding to help select
a number of women's rights organizations to implement their strategic programs
and priorities, he said.
He said it would be
also provide flexible and responsive funding to help a larger pool of women
human rights organizations that pilot innovative approaches and respond to the needs of
emerging issues.
Women's voices and
Therefore, Ghana would support Ghanaian women's rights organizations
strengthen their field work to transform unequal power relations and
entrenched social norms, thus accelerating the realization of fundamental principles
rights of women and girls.
For decades, the
organizations and movements paved the way for gender equality and empowerment
women and girls.
Local women's rights
organizations, especially those working at the local level, play a
important role in social awareness and community mobilization for change
laws, attitudes, norms and social practices.
Too often, however, they
lack the resources to provide the help that women and girls need, therefore, the
project.
Dr. Heather Cameron,
Canada's High Commissioner to Ghana, speaking at the event, said in June
2017, the Government of Canada adopted a Feminist International Assistance Program
A policy aimed at eradicating poverty and creating a more peaceful, inclusive and
prosperous world.
She said Canada firmly
was convinced that the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls was the
most effective approach to achieving the goal that also corresponds to the
Sustainable Development Goal 5.
The Commissioner noted
that the last two decades have seen dramatic reductions in global poverty and this
was particularly true in Ghana, but not everyone had benefited,
that it was often women and girls who were late.
"When we work for
eliminate barriers to equality and help create better opportunities, women
and girls can be powerful agents of change – improving their own lives and
those of their families, communities and countries. It's a powerful way to
to reduce poverty for all, including; men and boys, "she said.
She said the kind
Equality can not be achieved by isolated women and girls. That is why
important that men and boys be engaged in the struggle for greater gender equality
equality, to have the opportunity to defend equality and to be encouraged to
show the example by respecting and promoting the interests of women and girls.
What she noted could
advocate for changes in policies, legislation and services so that they
could challenge harmful and discriminatory social beliefs and practices.
She encouraged women
advocacy organizations to make it a catalytic opportunity to work
strategy to go beyond the status quo to innovate and target
barriers that inhibited gender equality.
Mrs. Cynthia Morrison,
the Minister of Gender and Social Protection, expressed his gratitude to the
Government of Canada for its support to women's groups fighting against
gender inequality.
She urged women to
move and work together to build the nation as a person or a group could not do
work alone.
GNA
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