Dr Mrs Comfort Asare, the Director at the Department of Gender, Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, has called for the creation of conducive working environment for women to achieve their full potentials.

She said women had the capacity to attain greater heights in life but they were often constrained by cultural and traditional inhibitions and, thus, underscored the need for the society to support them overcome those challenges.

Dr Asare made the call at the launch of the Gender and Energy Working Group (GEWG) in Accra on Thursday, which was constituted by the Millennium Development Authority (MiDA).

The GEWG was established in May 2017 by MiDA to support the implementation of the Ghana Compact.

The GEWG comprise gender and energy experts drawn from agencies and government organisations, who would press for change in the country’s power sector.

The members would implement Social and Gender Integration Plan (SGIP) under the Ghana Compact, monitor and review activities of the SGIP, undertake capacity building for the focal persons and female employees associations of the Electricity Company of Ghana and Northern Electricity Distribution Company.

The inauguration coincided with the celebration of the International Women’s Day, with the global theme: “Time is Now: Rural and Urban Activists Transforming Women’s Lives,” while Ghana adopted: “Women Too: Press for Progress as Game Changers to develop Ghana” as its local theme.

Dr Asare said gender equality required a shared and collective responsibility, which would facilitate the accomplishment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially goal five - “Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls”.

She said the Ministry fully supported the vision of MiDA for a clean Ghana, promotion of science, technology and mathematics education and eradication of human trafficking.

“Intervention in the energy and water sectors affect women and men differently, hence the Ministry sees the establishment of the Compact Energy Working Group as a very laudable initiative.

“Energy is prime ingredient in all productive, subsistence and leisure activities. The quantity and quality of available energy determines the efficiency and effectiveness of activities, as well as the quality of life of the users,” she said.

The Compact seeks to create more employment opportunities and improve workplace environment for women, promote them to a senior management positions in the energy sector as well as enhance learning potentials for women and men among other things.