The First Lady, Nana Lordina Mahama, has commended women for their dedication and immense contribution to the social and economic development of the country, and the world. Mrs. Mahama made the commendation when she hosted the leadership of market women and Queen Mothers associations in the Greater Accra region, in Accra.
Mrs Mahama hosted the women prior to the International Women's Day, which also commemorates the 20th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action for women's rights, which comes off on the 8th of this month.
In 1995, at the Fourth World Conference on Women, the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, a historic roadmap, signed by 189 governments, and 4,000 civil society organizations, set the agenda for realizing women's rights. Women left Beijing with high hopes, with a well-defined path towards equality, and firm commitments at the highest level.
Though hopes to achieved equality by 2005 was not realized, there has been some progress in the last 20 years, although it has been slow and uneven. From Beijing to Ghana, global, regional, national and local events are taking place, in all corners of the globe in the lead up to the Beijing+20-year anniversary, to take stock and strategise the way forward to achieving total emancipation of women.
In Accra, the First Lady, Mrs. Lordina Mahama on her part, has hosted associations of market women and Queen mothers in the greater Accra region, in a bid to appreciate them and their contribution to the development of the country. Executive members of 40 markets, from Agbogbloshie, Makola, Ashiaman, Kasoa, among others, with five representatives from each, and Queen mothers from 13 traditional areas in the greater Accra region responded to the first lady's call. They interacted with Mrs. Mahama and made known their achievements and some of their challenges to her.
The Paramount Queen Mother of Osu Doku, who is also the President of the Greater Accra Queenmothers' Association, Nana Amponsah Dokuaa III (the 3rd), requested that the association is resourced with the necessary support so that it can carry out its activities towards the development of the region.
The President of the Greater Accra Market Women Association, Mercy Nii Djan, commended Mrs. Mahama for her effort at helping less privilege women and children in the country. She, on behalf of the market women pledged to lend their full support to any good course the First Lady will embark on to help the society. Mrs. Lordina Mahama noted that women are breaking new grounds in Ghana, both in the world of business and decision making, hence the need to commend them and help them promote development, and not discriminated against.
As the World marks the International Women's Day, on the 8th of March, this year, Mrs. Mahama commended women for their contribution to the welfare of the home, society, and the country at large.
She advised members of the women associations to encourage others to join the association so that they can take good advantage of opportunities rolled out by the government.
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