First Lady of the Republic, Mrs Rebecca Akufo-Addo, has stated that gender inequality is a clear and present danger to the development of humanity.
Addressing participating First Ladies and guests at the Organization of African First Ladies for Development (OAFLAD) high-level event on Wednesday 20 September 2023, on the sidelines of the 78th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York,
Mrs Rebecca Akufo-Addo expressed her commitment to the elimination of gender inequalities on the African continent.
Mrs Akufo-Addo began her statement by telling the captivating inequality story of Asana. Asana, according to the First Lady, was “born into a poor family. Her parents manage to send her twin brother to school. At thirteen years old, Asana is married off to an older man and has a child at age 14. She was required to have her husband with her on her hospital visitations. Her voice is silenced. She has no income, no education, and no freedom to make decisions about her health. At age 25 she had six children and looked 40. As strange as this is in our 21st century, this is a picture we can all identify with. That is why this meeting is so important” Mrs Akufo-Addo said.
In her report on Ghana’s launch of the We Are Equal campaign by OAFLAD, the First Lady said the attendance by the Minister of Education, the Gender Minister, the Deputy Minister for Health, and other high-level stakeholders, including the Director of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, shows government’s commitment to gender equality.
The meeting she disclosed discussed what was being done to close gender gaps in the areas of education and health including the establishment of STEM schools for girls and plans for girls to undertake courses in engineering without necessarily studying science in school.
She also disclosed the commitment of the Director General of Ghana Broadcasting Corporation to broadcast the campaign’s key messages in 27 local languages to ensure wide coverage in languages that people understand.
Additionally, the campaign will work with government officials, traditional leaders, media personnel, and influencers to disseminate campaign messages. She also disclosed a partnership with UNFPA to conduct a campaign to encourage antenatal attendance by pregnant women and advocate for more health facilities to repair fistula, to give women the quality of life they deserve.
“We need to change the mindset of the women and girls we seek to help. This fight is about changing people’s perspectives, attitudes, and behaviors and re-directing society to a world of equality. A world where gender is no hindrance to one’s quality of life” the First Lady concluded.
Other First Ladies and stakeholders also made very insightful contributions to the discussions.
In 2002, First Ladies of Africa came together to form the Organization of African First Ladies against HIV/AIDS (OAFLA), intending to be a united voice for Africa’s most susceptible citizens; women and children living with and affected by HIV and AIDS.
Over the years, OAFLA has evolved to become an institution that can offer continent-wide leadership in terms of advocacy in the areas of HIV and a broad range of maternal and child health interventions.
OAFLA currently named the Organization of African First Ladies for Development (OAFLAD) is an advocacy organization where First Ladies of Africa seek to leverage their unique position to advocate for policies that make health services accessible and laws that boost women and youth empowerment.
First Ladies of Africa reinforces favorable policies and programs through advocacy, resource mobilization, and the development of partnerships with all stakeholders at all levels. First Ladies engage in various community-level activities to sensitize the community and create awareness of health risks and policies.
