'HIPC Will Hit Women Hard'

Ghana taking advantage of the HIPC-Programme could mean a major setback in the struggle for economic empowerment of Ghanaian women, the Manager of Gender & Economic Reforms in Africa (GERA), Zo Randriamaro has said.

Speaking at an International Women's Day panel discussion at the British Council, Mrs. Randriamaro explained, one of the conditionalities eligible for dept relief would be the implementation of the Poverty Reduction Strategy Process (PRSP). This process is meant to strengthen the relation between debt relief and poverty reduction by providing encouragement for governments to adopt pro-poor economic reforms.

In addition to that it seeks to ensure that recourses released through debt relief will be chanelled into increased social expenditures on health and education, and into poverty action funds. However with respect to woman and gender relations the implementation of the PRSP raises critical issues, Mrs. Randriamaro emphasized. Prior gender equality components were not given appropriate recognition.

In addition to that according to researches carried out by GERA, previous economic reforms only worsened the situation of African Woman and have been the number one cause of increased poverty and social inequality. "Therefore, all those who fight for the economic empowerment of woman should be vigilant, and know that they might be coopted into a global management system which seeks to perpetuate these macroeconomic reforms that have been detrimental to woman and gender relations," the GERA Manager urged.

"They should be aware that there is a real danger of further marginalisation of woman under current poverty reduction strategies." For woman's rights activist, if they want to reach further achievements for woman now the time had come to move according to the motto "act locally, think globally." "Asking for an increased access to micro-credit training for woman is not enough to effectively reduce poverty.

We also need to look at these macroeconomic policies that shape women's lives, and start by challenging the prevailing economic paradigm which disempower women and perpetuate their oppression."