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The Deputy Commissioner of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), Mr Richard Quayson, has advised female leaders of various religious bodies to take a giant step to empower women and children, especially the girl-child, to achieve their dreams. �You must take pragmatic measures to promote integrity as a determination to add progress to the success chalked up so far,� he said. Mr Quayson was speaking as a guest speaker at the Faith to Action Women�s Conference (FAWC) organised by the Presbyterian Interfaith Research and Resource Centre (PIRRC). The programme was held in collaboration with the International Interfaith Women�s Network for Peace and Development (IIWNPD) on the theme: �Women in religion: Called to be agents of justice and integrity� The conference is an annual gathering of Christians, Muslims, traditional and other religious women aimed at empowering and inspiring women for the peace and development of the society. The organisation believes that the major role of the various religious bodies in the world is to use their religious influence in promoting peace and good life for the common benefit of the society. �Whenever people are reluctant to confront or are intimidated into submitting or acquiescing to injustice, they unwittingly enable or empower the oppressor to entrench the oppression,� Mr Quayson said. Women as agents of justice The Director of the Presbyterian Interfaith Research and Resource Centre, Rev. Professor Daniel J. Antwi, challenged the participants to be agents of justice in their various religious organisations. He indicated that women had the power to make significant contributions to the development of society but they often underrated their capabilities. The Director of Economic and Social Relations of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Rev. Samuel A. Odjelua, said the conference was expected to provide the platform for women from different religious backgrounds to interact with one another and discover how they could promote justice and integrity. He noted that if people from the different religious backgounds lived together in peace, there would be peace worldwide. A member of the Methodist Church Ghana�s Advisory Council on Gender and Family Issues, Mrs Kokoi-Mottah Teye, who chaired the conference, said women should not feel intimidated in competing with men for leadership positions. She noted that women could take up leadership positions and perform creditably well if they upgraded themselves and acquired the requisite skills and knowledge. She implored women to not see themselves as second class people or inferior to men.