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The University Teachers Association of Ghana UTAG, UMaT UMaT Chapter and Australian High Commission celebrated the International Women’s Day with women groups from Prestea Huni Valley and Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipalities in the Western Region.
The event held at the University of Mines and Technology brought together students from Prestea Huni Valley and Tarkwa Nsuaem municipalties, market women, church members, and professionals from various sectors to empower them and promote gender equality.
The theme of this year’s International Women’s Day celebration, “Together Let Us Accelerate Action for Gender Equality,” served as a reminder of the collective responsibility to advocate for women’s rights and empowerment.
The program featured engaging discussions, inspiring speeches, and interactive sessions aimed at fostering collaboration and driving impactful change in our communities.
It served as a platform for women from different backgrounds to connect, share experiences, and build supportive networks.
UTAG President, UMaT Chapter Prof Eric Neebo Wiah noted that the event was to honor the accomplishments of women in diverse sectors and to also promote awareness regarding gender equality matters, and to advocate for the initiative that expedite the advancement of gender parity.
He noted that, the celebration underscores the societal, economic, cultural and political contributions women provide to society while also confronting the challenges that they encounter.
The Pro Vice Chancellor of UMaT, Prof Grace Ofori Sarpong who chaired the event explained that women’s participation in the University was extremely low, starting under one percent female population.
“UMaT started as a technical institution in 1952, transitioned through a faculty-university college to a fully-fledged university in 2004 as a typical STEM institution, women’s participation was extremely low, starting under one percent female population”.
Prof Grace Ofori Sarpong was however excited that the UMaT female population now stands at 25 percent, adding that “this has become possible due to the university’s gender-mainstreaming policy, which aims to accelerate action towards gender parity”.
The Deputy High Commissioner to Ghana, Her Excellency Penny Dennis congratulated UMaT for working towards achieving gender parity in the University.
“I was particularly happy to hear of the university’s own success from going from 1% to 25% female population, challenging the notion that girls can’t do well”.
Her Excellency Dennis said gender equity creates opportunities for everyone to thrive, “making our world more resilient, secure and sustainable. Gender Equity is a stronger predictor of peace than nations wealth or their political system. It drives economic growth, enhances social cohesion and increases the wellbeing of all members”.
She noted that Australia is committed to gender equity and human rights of women and girls domestically and internationally, adding that in 2023 and 2024 alone, Australia spent $2.3 billion on programs targeting gender equity.
Her Excellency Penny Dennis explained that in Ghana over 80 percent of the Australian Commission program will focus on women economic empowerment and women’s leadership as a core objective.
The event provided a platform for women from different backgrounds to connect, share experiences, and build supportive networks, while the contributions of women in various sectors were recognized and celebrated, highlighting their vital roles in society.
