The Executive Director of the Grassroots Sisterhood Foundation, Madam Fati Alhassan has called for the full recognition, respect and equal opportunities for Ghanaian women especially those in the rural areas.
She is of the view that Ghana would have been a better place than it is now; if indeed the potentials of the women who constitute over 51% of the country’s population had been harnessed over the years.
Madam Alhassan was particularly worried about what she described as the “unacceptable trend” in the northern region where women are always denied the right to possess lands, inherit their husbands’ properties or have access to some natural resources- all in the name of socio-cultural practices.
The Renowned Gender Activist was speaking at a Special Durbar held by the Chief and people of Wamale, a farming community in the Tamale Metropolis to celebrate the contribution of rural women towards national development and food security. It was also to advocate for women’s equal access to land and other natural resources. The Durbar which was organised by the Grassroots Sisterhood Foundation, with support from the Huarion Commission and Mwanachi, was under the theme: “Women’s Access to Lands and Natural Resources is critical to national development”.
She estimated that over 70% of northern women live in rural areas and they constitute the backbone of subsistent farming in the region. Even though they earn very little from their hard work, majority of the rural women, she noted, still make efforts to put food on the table, cater for their children’s education and the general household needs.
“Majority of the our men in the north are only interested in giving birth to any number of children but they women are always responsible for their upkeep, education and feeding, yet they hardly get access to land to cultivate adequate food crops to support their families. Even with all these restrictions and disadvantages, our rural women still continue to making significant impact in the lives of their families, communities and the nation as a whole”.
Madam Fati Alhassan therefore called on the government, traditional authorities, financial institutions and other donor agencies to prioritise the interest of women, especially at the local level to enable to contribute their quotas to the development of Ghana.
She complained bitterly that the rural women were also largely in charge or are at the forefront of the development and promotion of the shea and cotton industries which are the mainstay of the region, but they were always refused support from the various financial institutions to expand their businesses.
The Executive Director of the Grassroots Sisterhood Foundation also a former media practitioner, who worked with the Rural Media Network (RUMNET) for several years, however encouraged the women to continue to persevere to make Ghana proud.
She further encouraged them to educate their children especially the females to also become responsible and useful citizens.
The Chief of Wamale, Naa Alhassan Abu commended the NGO for the initiative and pledged to offer the women in his area with any piece of land they may need for farming or other development activities.
However, the women used the occasion to showcase some of the indigenous dishes of the north including tubaani, wasawasa and kulikuli among others.
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