AFRICAN WOMEN LAWYERS ASSOCIATION ON GENDER INEQUALITY

August 13, 2003 – (Accra Mail - Accra) The African Women Lawyers Association (AWLA) have organised a day's seminar on gender inequality and other vital developmental issues for about 200 women leaders in the Ewutu-Efutu-Senya District at the National Sports College at Winneba.

The seminar, which attracted queen mothers, ministers of religion, leaders of organised women's trading and farming groups, and assembly members, was sponsored by DANIDA.

Mrs. Hannah Tetteh-Kporda, MP for Ewutu-Senya, presided and was assisted by Neenyi Ghartey VII, Omanhene of the Efutu Traditional Area.

The participants were taken through topics like the Intestate Succession Law, child maintenance, sexual harassment and domestic violence laws.

In an address, the District Chief Executive for Awutu-Efutu-Senya, Captain Steve Kwamena Armah (rtd), stressed the need for Ghanaians to take concrete and immediate action to address matters of gender inequality once and for all.

He announced that as part of measures to address gender problems in the district, the District Assembly had disbursed more than 250 million cedis to support women in their economic ventures and had also set up committees to see to their problems from time to time.

Capt. Armah praised AWLA for taking up the challenge to lead the crusade against gender inequalities that affect women and children.

The Executive Director of AWLA, Madam Edna Kumah told family heads that the days that they usurped the powers of widows and children and prepared letters of administration to collect the property and other benefits of their deceased spouses were over.

She warned that any family head that would be caught infringing the Intestate Succession Law would be made to "face the music".

Neenyi Ghartey appealed to Ghanaians irrespective of their ethnicity and religious beliefs to help make the laws protecting women and children to achieve their objectives.

From: http://allafrica.com/stories/200308130847.html