The Accra Girls’ Old Students Association (AGOSA) has marked International Women’s Day (IWD) with a call on women to collaborate with men to speed up national development.
Professor Adelaide Kastner, the National President of AGOSA, said both men and women possessed unique but complementary capabilities that required their cooperation with each other to solve the world’s problems.
The public must move away from the notion that: ‘What men do, women can do better,’ she said, adding that such statements rather alienated men and put barriers in the way of women.
Prof Kastner made the call in Accra when AGOSA marked the 2024 IWD with students of the Accra Girls’ Senior High School, on the localised theme: ‘Inspiring Inclusion for Progress and Respect.’
This year’s global theme was: ‘Inspire Inclusion’.
The IWD, recognised officially in 1977 by the United Nations, celebrates women for their achievements without regard to divisions, whether national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic or political.
Prof Ka
stner said: ‘IWD is not about aggression, it is not a battle, it is not a competition. We are not here to fight or malign the male counterparts of society. We are going to collaborate, coordinate, and synergise. It is the cooperation we are looking for.’
She touched on the importance of collaboration between women and men in all spheres of life, including the home, school, workplace and the community to foster mutual growth.
Women must also collaborate among themselves and assist one another, she noted, adding that; ‘Combining our efforts as women and men will enable us to solve the problems that confront humanity.
‘We can create more wealth than we could create separately and then we can inspire each other and advance the world’s economy and reduce poverty.’
Prof Kastner said it was important to involve the students in commemorating IWD to ensure speedy transformation.
‘When it comes to the role and place of a woman, we want to change the psyche, there should be a paradigm shift. If it is going to happe
n, it should happen at the nurturing stage,’ she said.
‘So we want to get the girls involved. Build their confidence, and let them know that opportunities abound for them. We want the girls to know that men want women who are educated and empowered, have skills, and careers, and can earn healthy, sustainable income to help the family.’
She emphasized that if women wanted inclusion, then they should also work on themselves because ‘they have to justify their inclusion.’
In a panel discussion, Dr Gloria Clarissa Dzeha, the Board Chair of Accra Girls’ Senior High School, said girls must make conscious efforts to develop their potential to earn the desired respect and contribute
meaningfully to development.
Mrs Gifty Andoh, the Headmistress, encouraged the students to have strong convictions in their abilities and persevere so they could excel in the male-dominated fields.
Mrs Miranda Degraft-Amanfu, the National Vice President of AGOSA, urged the students to study wide and broaden their horizons to functio
n effectively in all endeavours.
To promote the inclusion of women, some of the students called for more talk shows to empower women, expansion of technical and vocational education to equip women with the requisite skills, and the encouragement of women to build confidence and utilise their skills effectively.
Source: Ghana News Agency