Accra, June 29, GNA- Ms Kathleen Addy, Chairperson, National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), says “women empowerment and gender equality” is not usurping.
She noted that such expressions made many “needlessly” uncomfortable because they automatically assumed that they indicated replacement or “some sort of existential struggle.”
Ms Addy said this at the launch of the NCCE’s Gender Policy Document in Accra on the theme: “Gender Mainstreaming for Effective Delivery of Civic Education.”
The policy is to ensure the adherence to NCCE’s comprehensive and systematic commitment to gender equality at all levels of the Organisation and in its programming, partnerships, and collaboration.
Ms Addy said the expressions were more akin to balancing an equation and ensuring that the left side of the equation was equal to the right side.
She said in relation to men and women, gender equality was to ensure that historical, social and cultural norms and systems that favoured one over the other were corrected for the progress of the society.
The Chairperson said it would help to provide a level playing field where all people exercised their full rights and opportunities for them to attain their full potential.
Over the years, she said, the Commission, through the Research, Gender and Equality Department, had worked extensively to publish four Gender-based Research Reports, including Cultural Practices Affecting Women’s Rights in Ghana and Witchcraft and Human Rights of Women in Ghana 2010.
Ms Addy said as part of the Commission’s mandate, it continued to work to promote inclusiveness and participation of marginalised groups as enshrined in Article 17.1 and 2 of the 1992 Constitution.
Madam Faustina Acheampong, Director, Department of Gender, said gender was a cross-cutting issue since it affected every facet of development.
She said equality involved ensuring that the perceptions, interests, needs and priorities of women and men were given equal weight in planning and decision-making.
Ms Acheampong noted that excluding men from the processes to ensure gender equality would hinder its progress, hence, called for the urgent inclusion of men in the drive.
She underscored the need for the creation of gender desks and appointment of gender focal persons as well as the education of all staff on gender equality, especially the contents of the policy.
The Director said the implementation of the policy would create a safer space for all sexes and would make operations more effective and productive.
Source: Ghana News Agency
