Saltpond, March 8, GNA - Ms Joyce Rosalind Aryee, Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Chamber of Mines, expressed worry that females were being discriminated against due to cultural beliefs and assumptions related to gender and sex differences in some Ghanaian homes. She noted that male literacy rate in the country was 60 per while that of female was 38.5 per cent despite the fact women formed 51.23 per cent of the population.

Ms Aryee attributed the disparity in literary rate to the fact that when families were faced with financial difficulties they found it easier to withdraw the girl-child from school. Ms Aryee was speaking at the 46th Speech and Prize-Giving Day of the Mfantsiman Girls Senior High school, under the theme "Educating the Girl-child, Investment for National Development", at Saltpond, at the Weekend.

She said "Human beings are considered to be a country's greatest resource and assets. We must be given the opportunities to fully discover our potentials, develop and harness them for development". Ms Aryee said education presented women with the chance to make life better for themselves and their families. She urged Ghanaians to mentor, motivate and impart positive attitudes to women, particularly the girl-child and to curb cultural and traditional values that interfered with their desire to fulfil their aspirations.

She advised the students to focus on their studies, to enable them to acquire skills and knowledge needed for national development. Mrs. Sarah Wilson, Headmistress, called on the Ministry of Education to strengthen the basic education to take off the burden on second cycle schools. She said she would support any policy to revert to three years of second cycle education but called for the provision of adequate educational facilities and the motivation of teachers to enable them to put off their best.

Mrs. Wilson said the school was saddled with problems and appealed to government to expand the school dinning hall, library, classroom block and accommodation for the staff. Mr. Aquinas Tawiah Quansah, Member of Parliament (MP), for Mfantseman West, promised to contribute to the development of the school and advised the students to learn hard to enable them to pass their examinations.

In a speech read for Daasebre Kwebu Ewusi VII, President of the Central Region House of Chiefs, asked the students to be disciplined to enable them to succeed in life. Mrs. Sylvia Joan Hinson-Ekong, Founder and Executive Director, Rescue Foundation, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), commended the school for producing great women for the country. The school's Police Cadet Corps was inaugurated by Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Kwasi Ofori, Director of Public Relations, Ghana Police Service and prizes were presented to deserving students and staff.