The Northern Regional branch of the Federation of Muslim Women’s Association in Ghana (FOMWAG) has held its 3rd Regional Conference in Yendi, with a call on government and traditional rulers to offer women the needed recognition, respect and opportunities to contribute their quota to national development and peace building.
The Northern Regional President of the Federation, Hajia Hajara Telly who made call said that the Muslim women just like any African woman had come of age and were ready to take higher leadership positions at all levels.
But Hajia Telly quickly reminded the Muslim women about the importance of education especially among the girl child to become more knowledgeable, confident and assertive to handle leadership positions.
According to the Muslim Women’s Federation President, it was time for the Muslim parents to cut down their extravagant spending, stop the unnecessary stocking of their wardrobes and sacrifice for the education of their children.
“We have to forgo the Yaayi (plenty cloths) and stocking of our cupboards with all sorts of English bowls or sell them to cater for the education of our children, because the best legacy one can give to a child is education. It is sad to know that when one visits places like the institutions, work places of professions like the hospitals and other important organizations, one gets to realize that only a handful of Muslim women or girls are there and even sometimes none at all”.
On the other hand, Hajia Hajara Telly urged the women to be advocates of peace in their locality and most especially in their homes.
She emphasized that FOMWAG would not relent in its campaign for peace, unity and development, since women and their children always become the worst victims of any form of violence or conflict.
Meanwhile, the Federation of Muslim Women’s Associations in Ghana has since 1997 mobilized, sensitized and empowered its members for self-reliance. The Federation has also engaged in the training of its members in conflict management and peace building with support from the Catholic Peace Council and NOGCOSP a branch of Sustainable Peace Initiative (SPI) at all regional and district levels.
That notwithstanding, Hajia Telly revealed that the Muslim Women’s Federation also had advanced plans to establish a Foundation to support the numerous needy children especially the girls in the area of education to ensure a better future for the Muslim women.
On his part, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Yendi, Issah Zakaria who also represented the Northern Regional Minister, Moses Bukari Mabengba commended the leadership of the Federation for their high interest in the promotion of peace and national development.
He emphatically described it as a waste of talents and nation’s human resource, considering the fact that women who constituted about 52% of Ghana’s population continued to be excluded from leadership positions and high decision-makings.
“Undoubtedly, women have made and continue to make tremendous contribution to the socio-economic development of this country especially in the area of agriculture, trade, education and peace building”.
Mr. Issah Zakaria observed that the current global economic challenges required the participation of every citizen in all spheres of human endeavour in order to overcome the level of deprivation, poverty, underdevelopment and diseases among others.
He called for an end to the traditional stereotyping that women’s role was only in the kitchen and place more emphasis on the girl child education especially in the Muslim Communities.
The Yendi MCE however said the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) government was determined to bridge the yawning gap between the north and south through interventions such as the Northern Rural Growth Programme, the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority and other interventions such as irrigation systems, mechanized agriculture, access to credit and improved marketing.
Mr. Issah Zakaria also mentioned the provision of free school uniforms and exercise books, increase in the capitation grant, expansion of the School Feeding Programme, introduction of the block farming concept, subsidy on fertilizers, sales of tractors to farmers on hire purchase as other measures by government to improve on the lot of Ghanaians.
Speaking on the theme for the Conference, “Promoting Sustainable Peace in Ghana-the role of Muslim Women”, the Tamale Metropolitan Director of the National Commission on Civic Education (NCCE) and a Lecturer at the International Institute of Journalism (IIJ) Tamale, Alhaji Razak Saani commended the Federation for its role in promoting peace and unity in the Northern Region in particular.
He however admonished the women to use their God’s given persuading ability to prevail upon their husbands and their male children whenever they attempted to engage in violent conflicts.
Alhaji Saani also expressed worry about the high level of political interferences in chieftaincy disputes in the Northern Region especially in Dagbon, where members of both the Abudu and the Andani families had been divided between the New Patriotic Party and the National Democratic Congress respectively.
He appealed to the youth to close their ranks and desist from allowing some unscrupulous politicians to use them as instruments for destructive violence for their selfish gains.
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