FOMWAG Holds National Executive Meeting in Upper East

Bolgatanga, Aug. 24, GNA- The Federation of Moslem Women Association of Ghana (FOMWAG) at the weekend held its National Executive Meeting in Bolgatanga with a call on Ghanaians to help ensure peace before, during and after the forthcoming general elections.

The meeting which was under the theme: "Peaceful Election, the Concern of the Moslem Women" which attracted Moslem women from all the ten Regions was also aimed at deliberating and harnessing the potentials of Moslems women and to give them a strong voice in matters affecting their well-being.

Dr Rabiatu Amaah, the National Amirah (Leader) of FOMWAG who made the call appealed to all stakeholders, including Government, political parties, the Media and the Electoral Commission, among others to help ensure free and fair election to protect the country's young democracy and maintain peace

She explained that, since the inception of FOMWAG in 1996 it had helped champion the cause of Moslem women which had helped them contributed a lot to improve upon their politico-socio-economical well being and the nation as whole.

Many Moslem women she said, through the immense role of the FOMWAG, were now occupying lot of leadership positions and were doing well.

Dr. Rabiatu noted that FOMWAG was a non-governmental organization and was not affiliated to any political party and said it aimed at promoting the development of women's welfare and the nation.

The Upper East President of FOMWAG, Hajia Sheitu Tahiru, in her welcoming address, asked Moslem women to avail themselves of all learning programmes, especially capacity building in leadership skills.

She explained that gone were the days when women were denied the opportunity to education because of cultural practices which relegated them to the background and said things have now changed and women now have access to education.

She therefore asked women to take the advantage of the situation to empower themselves and also aspire to become leading figures on the political, social and economic scenes in society.

The Upper East Regional Minister, Mr. Alhassan Samari, in his speech, commended FOMWAG for their role to national development and said as women, they had a major role to play to ensure peaceful election and entreated them to preach the message of peace to their husbands and children not to do anything that would mar peace in the forthcoming elections.

Mr. Samari noted that, Government had initiated a lot of pragmatic policies which had resulted in the lowering of the poverty index, creating the environment of media freedom and pluralism, accountability and good governance, all geared towards the consolidation of the country's fledging democracy.

He appealed to all political parties to use decent language in their campaigns devoid of verbal attacks on their political opponents.

He asked them to ensure that all children of school going-age were sent to school, especially the girl-child and said the ideal situation whereby Islam said the man should be the breadwinner of the family does not in anyway suggested that women cannot be the breadwinners. He indicated that there was the need for the woman to complement the husband efforts to keep the household running and said the only way this could be achieved was for women to take up their own destiny into their hands by educating themselves and the girl-child through formal education.

Mr. Samari stated that Government was much concerned about the welfare of women and their participation in governance and that, it had created the Ministry of Women and Children to handle affairs affecting them and also made some women to occupy certain leadership positions in governance, citing the Chief Justice and Deputy Inspector General of Police, among others.