CMA Delegates Conference Opens.

Takoradi Sept.12, GNA- Mrs Gladys Asmah, Minister for Women and Children's Affairs has advised women in leadership positions to live up to expectation by impacting positively on gender issues.

She said the country will be a paradise for all if women become role models and help others to join the crusade for women empowerment. Mrs Asmah was speaking at the fifth triennial national delegates conference of the Christian Mothers Association (CMA) of the Catholic Church at Takoradi on Friday.

Three thousand delegates from all the 17 diocese of the Church are attending the four-day conference, with the theme: "Self-Reliant church, the role of the woman".

Mrs Asmah congratulated the association for being instrumental at raising women to contest the last District Assembly elections resulting in 145 women becoming assembly members.

She also lauded the CMA for its efforts at supporting the income generating activities of its members.

She spoke against incidents of child labour, indiscipline, domestic violence, child trafficking, intolerance and other social vices, which have not allowed for peace and unity among families.

She said the issue of child labour should be redefined since to her, there was nothing wrong with a teenager helping in the upkeep of the family provided it is done with circumspection.

Mrs. Augustina Patricia Boachie, CMA national president said the association would continue to help the Ghanaian woman to make her well-organised, self reliant, and self-sustaining to enable her to support the family.

The very Reverend Philip Tandoh, Episcopal vicar-General of the Sekondi-Takoradi diocese of the church acknowledged some forms of the tradition of the church that excludes women from certain positions in the church and said the hierarchy is working to address the issue. There were fraternal messages from a number of Christian associations and the National council on Women and Development.