MEDIA BRIEFING ON DISCRIMINATION

Yirenkyi Opare-Akuffo

The Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs (MOWAC) has organized a seminar to brief and sensitize media practitioners on Ghana’s 3rd, 4th and 5th Periodic Reports to the United Nations Committee on the eradication of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and recommended actions.

The seminar which was held at the Coconut Groove Hotel in Accra forms part of Ghana’s obligation to coordinate and ensure implementation of recommended actions by Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and other stake holders.

In an opening address delivered by Mr. V. T. Kuzuume, the Chief Director of the Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs on behalf of the Deputy Minister, he said, Ghana has come very far as a country in addressing issues relating to women and children’s survival, protection and development and is still moving forward. A number of giant strides have been taken by Ghana in fulfillment of its national, regional and international communities, he said.

At the international level in particular, Mr Kuuzume said, Ghana demonstrated its commitment and political will by not only signing, ratifying various conventions, treaties, protocols, and resolutions but also through promulgation of laws and implementation of various strategies with the view to creating a society in which women enjoy full equality with men and the full realization of their rights as guaranteed under the Constitution and the laws of Ghana.

Mr.Kuzuune urged media practitioners to assist MOWAC and other stakeholders by actively participating by giving innovative and implementable strategies on how to communicate effectively to move the gender agenda forward to address issues of subtle discrimination against women and girls in the Ghanaian society.

Mrs. Doris Mawuse Aglobitse, The National Professional Officer, Advocacy and Resource Mobilization, representing the United Nations (UN) System said, Ghana ratified the United Nations Conventions on Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against women without reservation in July 1986 and consequently submitted its initial and second Periodic reports in 1991, as required. In 2005, she said, Ghana further submitted its 3rd, 4th and 5th Periodic reports to the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women and defended these reports in August 2007.

Mrs. Aglobitse said the role of the UN in Ghana has been in the area of providing technical assistance as well as some funding to the Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs and other NGOs in implementing programmes that are of benefit to women and girls. Currently, she said, the UN System has a joint programme with MOWAC on the implementation of the Domestic Violence law which was passed last year. Aspects of the programme dowel on awareness creation, capacity building for law enforcers and rehabilitation of abused victims.


Mrs. Aglobitse said, the UN System in Ghana will continue to provide support in these areas based on what the government presents as its area of priority.

Mrs. Marian .A. Tackie, Director of MOWAC in presenting the overview of the United Nations conventions on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women and status of implementation said, CEDAW was adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1979 to reinforce the provisions of existing international instruments designed to combat the continuing discrimination against women. She said, CEDAW identifies many specific areas where there has been discrimination against women such as political rights, marriage and family employment. Mrs. Tackie continued that CEDAW spells out specific goals and measures that are to be taken to facilitate the creation of a global society in which women enjoy full equality with men and the full realization of their guaranteed human rights.

On Implementation of the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, Mrs. Tackie said, Ghana ratified the CEDAW without reservation in July 1886. Ghana follows a dualistic approach towards the incorporation of treaties into domestic law. This means that international conventions need to be incorporated into domestic laws by legislation to give them full legal effect. She said, other provisions of CEDAW were complied with through review or amendment of existing legislations or promulgation of new legislations. Examples are the Domestic Violence Act and the Human Trafficking Acts which are in incompliance with UN Declaration on Elimination of all Forms of Violence against Women. Ghana has complied with its reporting obligation under the convention and submitted five periodic reports to the UN Committee on CEDAW. She said Ghana’s 6th and 7th reports are due in 2011.

Mrs. Tackie said, further action taken since the submission of its 3rd, 4th and 5th reports include, press reporting on Ghana’s presentation of it’s CEDAW reports to CEDAW Committee, printing of 3rd, 4th and 5th periodic reports and the other related document for dissemination to all stakeholders among many others. Mrs. Tackie further stated that certain measures have been taken in line with CEDAW periodic reports to increase women’s participation in politics and decision-making. She stated some of them as sensitization of and capacity building programmes for women to run for office are organized periodically. Also, a high level of consultative dialogue was organized as part of Ghana’s 50th anniversary under theme: “Enhancing participation of women in decision-making positions”. She added that political parties have also been urged to incorporate gender issues in their political agenda and to ensure that women participate in leadership on equal basis with men.

Ghana, Mrs. Tackie said, has taken concrete measures to translate various conventions, treaties and protocols Declarations and Resolutions relating to Gender Equality and Women and Children’s Rights to development into implementation policies, programmes. She said, a major constraint however, is the lack of adequate financial resources to translate all its commitment into desired measurable results. Mrs. Tackie said, with the injection of more financial inflows especially from the UN System funding agencies, Ghana would be able to achieve its development goals targets relating to gender equality and women’s empowerment.