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FOSDA, in collaboration with the United Nations Development Fund for Women-Ghana (UNIFEM)and supported by Ibis-West Africa, organized a three-day workshop on “Economic and Political Empowerment of Women”, from 28th to 31st July, 2009 in Tamale.

The workshop brought together representatives of Civil Society Organisations, The Media, Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs, educationists among others who were mostly women. It provided the platform for participants and experts to share their experiences as socially conscious political activists.

The participants reflected on challenges of women’s political and economic empowerment and how to overcome them. They further reflected on effective political leadership for women and how to achieve it. They were equally equipped with conflict analysis and negotiation skills as well as resource and social mobilization tools.

Earlier in the welcome address, the Associate Director of FOSDA, Ms. Afi Yakubu, said the workshop was the first in the series of events which she hoped would contribute positively to the woefully inadequate demography of women in decision making at both the local and national level. She stressed the need for women to be socially and personally empowered since poverty among women in Northern Ghana was not only economic but also the bankruptcy of ideas of self actualization and peer support.

A significant highlight of the workshop was the formation of the Savannah Women’s Empowerment Group-Ghana (SWEG-G), which is intended to coordinate and harness the efforts of women in attaining the desired political and economic empowerment of women in the country. Ultimately a Communiqué addressed primarily to the Government of Ghana was issued at the end of the three days retreat. It calls on Government to implement affirmative action to the letter and the President, specifically, to fulfill his campaign promises concerning women.

The communiqué also advocates for a 50% representation of women in the management of the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) and the effective implementation of the Domestic Violence Act and all international conventions and protocols concerning women and girls that Ghana is signatory to.

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