By Jesse Ampah Owusu
Accra, Sept 2, GNA – Men in leadership have been encouraged to actively promote women’s participation in leadership and decision-making roles.
They are urged to use their power and platforms to elevate women by mentoring and supporting them to realise their full potential.
“We need men who are not only allies behind closed doors, but advocates in public, mentors in leadership spaces and defenders of equality in every sphere of society, making them champions and not opponents of equity,” said Dr Elisha Attai, Global President of the African Women Leadership Organisation (AWLO).
He was speaking at the opening of the AWLO HeForShe Summit in Accra.
It was held under the theme: “Redefining Masculinity: Men as Catalysts for Women’s Development.”
The summit brought together AWLO leaders from across the continent along with various women’s groups.
Dr Attai said male leadership was critical in accelerating the pace of women’s advancement in all sectors, including boardrooms, parliaments, schools and communities.
“Today, I challenge every man in the room and beyond, even those watching us, to question the norms we inherited and redefine masculinity for the better. To mentor and sponsor women in your workplaces,” he said.
“But let me be clear, this is not about charity, this is not about men allowing women to rise, it is about justice, fairness, and the recognition that when women rise, humanity rises with them,” Dr Attai added.
Reverend Dr Nanayaa Tina Owusu-Prempeh, President of Women in Leadership International, said women’s empowerment should be viewed as complementary, not competitive.
“True masculinity is not in opposition to women’s empowerment. Times have changed, and I want men to start thinking like that. And women, don’t think that you are fighting with the men,” she said.
Dr Owusu-Prempeh also called on the Government to expedite the implementation of gender-inclusive policies to strengthen women’s participation in leadership and decision-making.
The African Women in Leadership Organisation (AWLO) is a not-for-profit body empowering women leaders across Africa and the diaspora.
Over the past 15 years, AWLO has been at the forefront of dialogue and action toward the empowerment of women, highlighting the diverse challenges faced by women on the continent and beyond.
GNA
Edited by Kenneth Sackey