The Association of Women in the Media (ASWIM), has joined women around the world to celebrate the International Women’s Day on March, 8, 2019.
According to the Association, the choice of the theme for this year’s celebration of International Women’s Day in Ghana, which is: Better the Balance, Better the World, is apt as it is at the core of the discourse on women’s empowerment.
As part of the celebrations, ASWIM has called on all stakeholders to show commitment to the laws and policies that empower women.
In a press statement signed by the Interim President, Mrs Mavis Kitcher, the Association noted that although there countless laws which have been passed, policies and campaigns that have been embarked upon in this country to achieve gender equality, there is still a gender gap in the social, legal, civic, political, economic and socio-cultural aspects of life.
Meanwhile, it identified that the laws that will help improve the status of women are either not fully implemented or totally ignored, citing the Domestic Violence Act (2007) as an example.
“As we celebrate yet another IWD, ASWIM calls on all stakeholders to show commitment to the laws and policies that empower women,” it stated.
“ASWIM also calls for a shift in social attitudes of what is possible for women and put in measures to increase access for women to economic opportunities, employment and funding. In today’s technological world, it is also important to look at innovative ways to empower women technologically in order for them to realise their potential,” it added.
Below is the statement by ASWIM
PRESS STATEMENT BY THE ASSOCIATION OF WOMEN IN THE MEDIA (ASWIM) ON THE OCCASION OF THE CELEBRATION OF INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY
ON MARCH 8, 2019
For decades, there has been agitation for the empowerment of women and girls across the world, primarily because in most societies women in practice are not equal members of their communities.
This year’s celebration of the International Women’s Day is taking place at a time when women’s voices are rising around the world through various campaigns, such as #MeToo, Planet 50-50, etc.
The theme for this year is: “Think equal, build smart, innovate for change”, and according to UN Women, the theme will focus on innovative ways in which we can advance gender equality and the empowerment of women, particularly in the areas of social protection systems, access to public services and sustainable infrastructure.
In many societies of the world, there are women who do not have the power to decide when to marry, who that person should be, how many children to have, whether she would have access to education or not, and if she would be recognised for her capabilities and not perceived as a sex symbol.
Although currently the situation has changed tremendously in most societies, there still remains a lot to be done to balance the participation of women and men in all societies.
Obviously, the level of women’s participation is prime and critical to the development of societies around the world to ensure equity.
The economic and business case for gender equality is now overwhelming. Evidence is mounting that having more women in boardrooms and senior management positions is positive for the bottom line and for society.
While there has been progress toward increased educational opportunities and greater participation of women in the world of work, there still remains underrepresented levels of women at the top of companies around the world.
Women are not rising to the top in business, politics as there are fewer CEOs as compared to men.
Globally, statistics indicate that there are 22 women in ministerial and parliamentary roles for every 100 men.
Gender diversity has been shown to increase an organization’s performance as well as improve morale, recruiting and external image. McKinsey’s Women Matter research also found that companies in the top quartile for gender diversity are 15 percent more likely to have financial returns above the average in their national industry.
Clearly, the lack of women in positions of political power has a cost for society, too, because women often have different priorities and can be more effective where it matters most to the family, communities, the society and the nation.
For instance, one cross-country study found that greater representation of women in parliaments led to higher expenditure on education as a share of GDP.
Despite all these data, deeply-rooted attitudes stand in women’s way as studies have found a strong link between attitudes that limit women’s potential and actual gender equality outcomes in a given region.
In Ghana, the day is being commemorated with the global campaign theme “#Balanceforbetter” which will focus on building a gender-balanced society from grassroots activism to national actions and also provide a unified direction to guide and galvanise continuous collective action.
The choice of the theme for this year’s celebration of International Women’s Day in Ghana which is:Better the Balance, Better the World is apt as it is at the core of the discourse on women’s empowerment.
Women constitute more than half of the population in this country so their participation and involvement in all sectors of society is crucial for progress at the family, community and national level.
The Association of Women in the Media (ASWIM) joins women around the world in celebrating this important day as we reflect on the progress made on women’s rights. We pay homage to the countless Ghanaian, activists and advocates who have blazed the trail and those still working hard to ensure there is equitable representation of women in all spheres of life.
The National Gender Policy which was aimed at mainstreaming gender equality concerns into the national development processes articulates issues from gender perspectives, ensuring that women and men, girls and boys as well as the vulnerable, the marginalised and persons living with disabilities participate and have a voice and decision-making power in governance processes.
Furthermore, Ghana achieved a historic feat when on June 9, 2016, when the Affirmative Action Bill was approved. This was an important step in the journey of gender parity.
ASWIM notes that there are countless laws which have been passed, policies and campaigns that have been embarked upon in this country to achieve gender equality. Nonetheless, there is still a gender gap in the social, legal, civic, political, economic and socio-cultural aspects of life while laws to improve the status of women are either not fully implemented or totally ignored. An example is the Domestic Violence Act (2007).
As we celebrate yet another IWD, ASWIM calls on all stakeholders to show commitment to the laws and policies that empower women.
ASWIM also calls for a shift in social attitudes of what is possible for women and put in measures to increase access for women to economic opportunities, employment and funding.
In today’s technological world, it is also important to look at innovative ways to empower women technologically in order for them to realise their potential.
Innovations can be of immense benefit to women by improving their well-being and lead to women’s empowerment. It is equally important for women to be willing and avail themselves to learn things relating to technology and not see that field as a preserve for men.
According to UN Women: “Innovation and technology provide unprecedented opportunities, yet trends indicate a growing gender digital divide as women are under-represented in the field of science, technology, engineering, mathematics and design.
This prevents them from developing and influencing gender-responsive innovations to achieve transformative gains for society. From mobile banking to artificial intelligence and the opportunities the Internet provide , it is vital that women’s ideas and experiences equally influence the design and implementation of the innovations that shape our future societies.
Together, let us “Think equal, build smart, innovate for change” for all people, particularly women and girls without whose participation our society cannot achieve much.
ISSUED BY:
MRS MAVIS KITCHER,
INTERIM PRESIDENT
ASWIM
Ghana | Atinkaonline.com
