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The Gender page today recalls some significant stories related to the welfare of women and children that were featured in the�Daily Graphic�last year. In January, 28 women underwent free treatment for obstetric fistula conditions at the Mercy Women�s Centre at Mankessim in the Central Region. The women were drawn from all over the country. Nine of them came from the Upper East Region, five from Upper West Region, 11 from Central Region and three from the Volta Region. The youngest was 19 years, while the oldest was 60. Gender equity in oil and gas At a validation workshop on the draft guidelines for the oil and gas sector in January, ABANTU for Development, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) and women�s right and policy advocate, called on the government to address critical issues relating to gender equity in the oil and gas sector. According to the group, there were critical issues on gender in the oil and gas value chain that should equally engage the attention of policy makers and the private sector.� LEAP electronic pilot The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MoGSCP) in February rolled out a pilot electronic payment system for the beneficiaries of the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty Programme (LEAP) in nine districts. The pilot system, implemented by three electronic payment service providers, MTN Ghana, Ghana Interbank Payments Systems Solutions (GIPSS) and Aya Technologies, was expected to benefit 7,616 households in nine districts. The districts are Saboba in the Northern Region, Nzema East in the Western Region, Kwahu West in the Eastern Region and Ga South in the Greater Accra Region. The rest are Asante Akim North in the Ashanti Region, Zabzugu/Tatale and West Gonja in the Northern Region, Techiman in the Brong Ahafo Region and Keta in the Volta Region. � Parliament summons Gender minister The Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Mr Ebo Barton Odro, summoned the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MoGCSP), Nana Oye Lithur, to the House to state what steps were being taken to deal with the problem of female head porters, popularly known as �Kayayei�. He issued the summons after the Member of Parliament for Oforikrom, Mrs Elizabeth Agyeman, had made a statement on the plight of head porters in the country�s major cities. Women�s summit In March, the first ever women�s summit was organised by the Ministry of Gender, Women and Social Protection in Accra with a call for equal opportunities for both women and �men torwards holistic national development. The summit formed part of activities marking the 2014 International Women�s Day (IWD) and was attended by men, women, non-governmental organisations, community-based organisations and the donor community. The government at the summit gave the assurance to resource the MoGCSP to achieve its mandate. CSW 58 In March, the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MoGCSP), led a delegation to the 58th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in New York. The CSW was held from March 10 to March 22, 2014 on the theme: Challenges and achievements for women and girls in the post 2015 MDG framework. Nana Oye, at the meeting, presented papers on what Ghana had done so far in the areas of achieving the women and girls related MDGs. She met with South Africa�s Minister for Women, Children and People with Disability, Ms Lulu Xingwana. Children with special needs �In April, the Member of Parliament for Ablekuma West, Mrs Ursula Owusu Ekuful, called on stakeholders in the educational sector to pay attention to schoolchildren with special needs. Mrs Ekuful made the appeal after a visit to the Dansoman Special School. Girls advised The St Mary�s Vocational/Technical Institute at Adeemmra in the Kwahu Afram Plains North District in the Eastern Region encouraged girls in the community to take advantage of facilities at the institute to acquire skills to empower them to live meaningful lives. Int. Day of the Family 2014 marked the 20th anniversary celebration of the International Day of the Family which falls on May 15 every year. The theme for the celebration was, �Confronting family poverty, ensuring work and family balance and advancing social integration and intergenerational solidarity.� Int. Fistula Day In May, the second International Fistula Day was commemorated at Buya in the Kpandai District in the Northern Region to highlight the plight of fistula patients in the country. Marked on May 23 every year, the day was celebrated on the theme: �Tracking Fistula � Transforming Lives�.� Girls club The Women in Law and Development in June established a Girls Empowerment Club at the Osu Presbyterian Preparatory School to educate girls on their reproductive and sexual rights as part of efforts to deal with sexual abuse in schools. POLAS� 25th anniversary �The Police Ladies Association (POLAS), the women�s wing of the Ghana Police Service, marked its 25th anniversary across the country. At the launch of the anniversary, the Second Lady, Mrs Matilda Amissah-Arthur, paid glowing tribute to the founder members of the association and called on the ladies to rise to the occassion and pursue the goals for which the association was established. Quality education for girls The First Lady, Mrs Lordina Mahama, at the Bush Institute 2014 African First Ladies Summit in Washigton called for investment in quality education for girls. She said despite the proven benefits of educating women in acquiring quality education, African girls still faced enormous challenges in the areas of enrolment, poverty, accessibility, early marriage and teenage pregnancy. Violence against children A detailed and extensive compilation of data on violence against children by UNICEF has shown a high physical, sexual and emotional abuse. Released in September, the report from 190 countries and themed: �Hidden in plain sight� showed documentary evidence of violence perpetrated against children in places such as schools, communities and homes, where they should be safe. Witches conference The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection in collaboration with ActionAid, Ghana and IBIS, Ghana in December hosted a conference to draw attention to some of the most vulnerable and persecuted individuals in Ghana; those persons who fell victim to witchcraft accusations.� The conference was on the theme: �Protecting the Vulnerable: Witchcraft Accusations and Human Rights Abuse in Ghana�. the conference took place at the International Conference Centre on Wednesday, December 10, 2014.� Subsequently, the Bonyase Witches Camp, one of six witches camps in the Northern Region, was formally closed down on December 15, 2014.