Story: Yaw Takyi
Founder of Mentoring Women Ghana (MWG) and the 2020 Presidential Candidate of the Progressive People’s Party (PPP), Madam Brigitte Dzogbenuku has urged women to take up roles and responsibilities so as to influence other women.
She noted that women share their power when they are empowered.
The gender activist made these observations at the 20th anniversary of Women’s Trust, a non-governmental organization ( NGO) on Saturday, September 30, 2023.
“Women do not become proud and arrogant, we become independent and this, makes some men uneasy about a woman’s economic empowerment”, she said.
In 2015, the Agenda for Sustainable Development (the 2030 Agenda) was adopted by the UN, following the MDGs. Halfway through the journey, SDG 5 – achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls – has only made 17% progress towards the target in the 2030 Agenda.
According to UN women’s most recent report, it will take 286 years for the world to achieve gender equality at this rate; while the World Economic Forum says it will take another 132 years to close the gender gap.
To this end, Madam Brigitte further urged women to speed up the rate and increase and widen the scope of their work.
In political leadership, for example, she said, “we have only 14.5% representation in parliament; in corporate leadership, women have done better than politically, at about 35%”.
The PPP’s 2020 flagbearer advised women to appreciate and celebrate themselves when they are empowered.
She went on to encourage women to continue to improve themselves.
“Let’s ensure that we encourage women’s businesses while pursuing our own. Let’s support women’s production by buying their products and patronizing their services” she said.
Womens Trust is a non-profit organization on a mission to transform communities by empowering women and girls in Ghana through education and economic development. With over two decades in community impact, they have empowered over 4,000 women and girls in Pokuase,a suburb of Accra and its environs.
