Women display culinary expertise, empowerment at Akrofu Yam Festival

By Samuel Akumatey

Akrofu (V/R), Nov. 04, GNA – Womenfolk of Akrofu, major farming community in the Ho Municipality, on Friday came together for special celebration dedicated to the gender.

Organised as part of the 2024 Akrofu Te Za celebration, the Women and Children’s Day event, hosted by the Paramount Queenmother Mamaga Akua Sabea Nyabor VII, was in collaboration with the Ministry of Gender in the Region.

It was held on the theme “Empowering Women, Empowering Communities, Every Child Matters.”

There were cooking competitions, and cultural performances among activities aimed at empowering women.

Popular tomato brand Tasty Tom had a multi kitchen setup for the cooking event, and teams comprising some men flexed skills in food preparation across cultures.

A team from the local health center came onboard with health screenings and education.

Mamaga Nyarkua Tsimafonya, Paramount Queen of Sovie chaired the event, and Mrs. Thywill Eyra Kpe, Volta Regional Director of the Ministry of Gender was special guest.

The Gender Director engaged the community on forms of domestic and gender-based violence, endearing to promote awareness as on the various laws guiding human conduct.

She cautioned the community against rape, defilement and other common forms of sexual abuse while stating the law’s stance on abnormal sexual behaviour, including homosexuality, bestiality, and incest.

The community was also reminded of laws banning forced marriage. “Everything we do in this community has rules attached and so we need to be aware to ensure we don’t fall short of the law,” the Gender Director said.

The ruler who chaired the event, Mamaga Tsimafonya, who also is the Ho Municipal Director of the National Disaster Management Organisation, told women they remained the backbone of the world in the present dispensation, and must therefore seek avenues to economic emancipation.

“Let us rise and make our presence known,” she urged the women and encouraged them to strive to ensure their children attain education.

Madam Theresa Kuadah, a US-based nurse who is a member of the community, supported staff of the local health center promote health awareness at the event.

She promised to help establish a skills center there and to support agriculture and other economic activities.

Kikis Court Fun Club, social organisation in the Region donated hundreds of sanitary pads to the
community as part of its Founders Menstrual Pad project which established a bank for the sanitary material for distribution among rural communities.

Groups that took part in the cooking competition were received awards, and Ampofoa, Activation Rep for Tasty Tom told the Ghana News Agency the event helped promote nutritious local and foreign cuisine.

Mamaga Akua Sabea Nyabor, in her address, commended various stakeholders for supporting the event, and said the community would make the most of the moment.

GNA