By Albert Futukpor
Tamale, May 19, GNA – Some private sector employers and business owners in the Northern Region have been sensitised on the Gender Equity Act to understand what is required of them under the law and how they stand to benefit when they comply with it.
The day’s sensitisation forum sought to ensure that the participants, who were drawn from hotels, restaurants and shopping centre spaces, implemented the Act to address issues of gender imbalances/inequality in the work space.
It was organised in Tamale by ActionAid Ghana, an international NGO, in collaboration with the Northern Regional Department of Gender under the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection and the Labour Department under the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations.
Madam Alia Mumuni, a Programmes Officer, ActionAid Ghana, Northern Programme, speaking during the event, said even though the Act was passed last year, many of the players in the private sector were unaware of it, hence the sensitisation.
She said, “We target the private sector because they create a huge percentage of employment for the people, and many of them are not formalised, which leads to weak regulation, and they are unaware of the gender equity issues.”
The Gender Equity Act seeks to address the historic gender imbalances in all sectors of society, and to ensure that both men and women enjoy equal rights and opportunities across all sectors.
Madam Mumuni said “We have also recognised the historic systemic discrimination and stereotypes that have left women behind and that have even affected their opportunities in the work space for a very long time.”
She added that ActionAid Ghana is working with the private sector because it recognised the importance of economic independence and economic empowerment to attaining the rights of every citizen.
She said, “In the long run, we want to ensure that we contribute to women having a fair representation in the work spaces in both public and private sectors, and also not just representation but the private sector also being conscious of supporting the women, who are in their work spaces to assume leadership roles.”
She impressed on private sector employers and business owners to put in place practical measures in terms of policies and programmes to guide their operations and in being conscious of having fair representation of women and men, and also making sure that they all assumed positions of authority within their work spaces to make them productive.
Madam Bushira Alhassan, Northern Regional Director, Department of Gender, who made a presentation on issues of gender, urged the participants to comply with the provisions of the Act.
She urged players in the private sector to put in place measures to address gender inequality/imbalances at the workplace, especially discrimination against women and some workplace policies that did not favour women.
She also urged them to institute policies at their workplaces to address issues of gender inequality and bring to an end gender discrimination at the workplace to enable women have more opportunities to assume leadership roles and participate at the decision-making levels at their workplaces.
During discussions, many of the participants said they were not aware of the Gender Equity Act.
Madam Felicia Ali, Proprietor of Dreamers Academy, who was a participant, lauded the sensitisation exercise, saying it had transformed their minds and perceptions about gender.
She said ensuring gender equity at the workplace would help women develop their skills and talents for the benefit of the workplace and society.
Mr Isaac Mabefam from Radach Lodge and Conference Centre, noted that the engagement was an eye-opener and said the workplace perception that men could do all work was not valid because what men could do, women could do even better.
GNA
Edited by Eric K. Amoh/Christian Akorlie