By Lydia Kukua Asamoah
Accra, March 8, GNA – The Ark Foundation, Ghana has called for stronger national efforts to ensure that women benefit meaningfully from the care, labour, and contributions they provide to families, communities, and the country.
In a message to mark the 2026 International Women’s Day (IWD), on the theme: “Give to Gain”, the Foundation highlighted the need for society to rethink the gendered burden of care placed on women, often at the cost of their autonomy, well-being, and economic progress.
The sub-theme for this year’s commemoration is “Boundaries, Enmeshment, and the Gendered Burden of Care.”
The Foundation said the themes underscore the importance of enabling women to thrive, noting that while women have historically given immensely through unpaid care and emotional labour, society has not fully ensured they gain dignity, equality, and recognition in return.
It added that caregiving has long been constructed as the core identity of womanhood, socializing girls to anticipate the needs of others and prioritise harmony over personal autonomy.
This, it noted, has led many women into patterns of emotional enmeshment, where boundaries are diminished and selfhood eroded.
According to the Foundation, emotional labour and caregiving—though valuable—often become invisible burdens that produce anxiety, exhaustion and guilt among women.
It emphasised that “boundaries are not rejection but acts of love,” calling for care work to be recognised as a shared societal responsibility rather than a silent obligation for women.
Reflecting on progress since the advent of Ghana’s Fourth Republic, the Foundation noted gains such as the Domestic Violence Act (2007), the National Gender Policy (2015), and the Affirmative Action Act (2024).
It also cited improvements in education and health outcomes, including rising school enrolment for girls and reduced maternal mortality.
However, it said significant gaps remain, with women occupying only 26 per cent of public sector managerial roles and 4.1 per cent of district assembly positions. Issues including gender-based violence, harmful cultural norms, and period poverty continue to hinder women’s participation and development.
Calls to action
The Ark Foundation urged the following actions to actualise the “Give to Gain” agenda:
Government and policymakers
– Operationalise the Affirmative Action Act by passing the Legislative Instrument to enforce representation targets.
– Integrate emotional labour into national gender policy to recognise caregiving as a social and economic contribution.
Law enforcement and judiciary
– Strengthen protection systems for survivors of gender-based violence through consistent referral pathways.
– Institutionalise gender-sensitive training for police and judicial officers.
Women and girls
– Reclaim boundaries as essential for dignity and well-being.
– Actively participate in leadership spaces and leverage the Affirmative Action Act to demand representation.
Communities and the general public
– Challenge norms that equate women’s sacrifice with virtue.
– Share caregiving responsibilities within households.
– Support survivors and women’s rights organisations.
The Foundation stressed that care is dignified—not diminished—by boundaries, and that achieving equity requires transforming caregiving from a hidden burden into a shared societal value.
Founded in 1999, The Ark Foundation operates Ghana’s longest-standing domestic violence shelter and provides comprehensive support to survivors of sexual and gender-based violence. It works closely with state agencies including DOVVSU, EOCO, the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit, the Courts, and the Department of Social Welfare.
GNA
Edited by Benjamin Mensah