The University in collaboration with the Ladies in Mining and Allied Professions Ghana (LiMAP-GH) and AngloGold Ashanti Iduapriem Limited, Tarkwa (AAIL) commemorated International Women’s Day on Friday, 8th March, 2024 under the global theme, ‘’Invest in Women, Accelerate Progress’’. This year’s theme aimed at emphasising the transformative potential of investment in women, recognising the contributions of women in driving progress and development in our societies, and the need to invest resources, attention and opportunities into furthering their advancement.
Mr Samuel Boakye Pobee - MD AAIL
The Chairperson for the programme and Managing Director of AngloGold Ashanti Iduapriem Limited, Mr Samuel Boakye Pobee, in his opening remarks said that harnessing the full potential of female employees unlocks new perspectives, drives innovation, and positions organisations for long-term growth and sustainability.
Mr Pobee highlighted some of his company’s policies for the promotion of gender diversity and a more inclusive environment for women. These included leadership development programmes, mentorship opportunities, and flexible work arrangements tailored to the needs of pregnant and nursing mothers, such as the option to work from home when necessary, conducting thorough job risk assessments to align with individual requirements and job settings, as well as the implementation of progressive Individual Development Plans (IDPs) for all female employees of the company. Mr Pobee added that AAIL actively supports initiatives that empower women, through enhanced education and entrepreneurship for members of their host communities.
Speaking about education of women, the Managing Director mentioned that AAIL reserves 50% of their scholarship awards for young women in their host communities who pursue STEM-related programmes at the tertiary level. He further mentioned that AAIL collaborates with UMaT and LiMAP-GH to mentor and groom female students through the ‘Start Right, End Well’ and ‘Exit in Readiness’ mentorship programmes to adequately prepare them for their academic journey and the world of work
Additionally, Mr Pobee said that as part of efforts to address the unemployment situation in their host communities, AAIL is running a four-year Girls’ Apprenticeship Programme in dressmaking for selected females across their host communities and has also constructed a Vocational Centre with a Business Unit furnished with industrial equipment for commercial garment production in Teberebie, Tarkwa.
The Special Guest for the programme and Pro Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Anthony Simons in his address said that it is imperative to observe the International Women’s Day to bring attention to issues of equality for women and highlight the challenges and discrimination that women still face in the areas of accessing leadership opportunities, social norms, cultural practices, violence against women and girls and most importantly, access to education and training.
Professor Simons also underscored the socio-economic characteristics of women in Ghana, and said that although the roles and participation of women in economic activities have been defined by biological and cultural factors, women have made significant strides in all aspects of the Ghanaian economy especially in the agricultural and service sectors.
He stated however, that the traditional demand on women to juggle their careers with housekeeping, lack of access to and control over land due to traditional and cultural factors, inability to access loans, lack of training, and lack of agriculture inputs and labour hinder most women from realizing their full potential to support socio-economic growth.
In support of the theme on investment in women, Professor Simons said that the University has formulated policies on Gender Mainstreaming and Anti-Sexual Harassment to create an enabling environment for the development of women.
Professor Simons commended the contributions made so far in Ghana towards the development of women and recommended that stakeholders in the various communities fortify efforts and continue to create more avenues for women to develop themselves. He stressed on the need to address customary laws on women’s access to land and inheritance which are discriminatory and unconstitutional, recognise women’s contributions to the development of properties such as farms, compensate women at divorce and on the death of their spouses, assisting women financially, design strategies to reduce the cost of land and access to collateral, develop training programmes for women who are active in micro-enterprise, reduce stereotyping between men and women, provide labour and time-saving tools to facilitate domestic duties, availability of extension services to women in manufacturing and other processing activities to maintain both local and international standard, improvement of rural telephony and internet services for access to business-sensitive information in the rural areas and encourage women to take up political leadership positions.
The 2024 IWD was climaxed with a Panel Discussion where some key personalities shared insight on the progress made so far in the development of women and opportunities for the future. The panel which was moderated by Professor Grace Ofori Sarpong, President of LiMAP-Gh and Dean of the UMaT School of Postgraduate Studies, included Professor Anthony Simons, Pro Vice Chancellor of UMaT, Nana Abena Boaduwaa II, Queen Mother of the Apinto Divisional Stool, Mr George Anyema, Senior Manager of Security at AAIL and Patron of the Iduapriem Ladies Club and and Rev Mrs Anita Akosu Asare, Resident Minister at the Victory Bible Church, Tarkwa,
The programme brought together women representatives and women groups from various institutions such as Ghana Prisons Service, Ghana Education Service, Ghana National Fire Service, Ghana Immigration Service, Tarkwa Vocational Institute, Queen mothers, Market Women Associations and some Senior High and Basic Schools.
