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The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has made a passionate appeal to all to lend a hand in helping tear down the cultural barriers which prevent women and girls from being equal citizens and ensuring that their rights are preserved at all times.

“I invite lawmakers to continue their work in advancing progress for women’s and girl’s rights across the nation. I invite traditional leaders, as gatekeepers of our moral and cultural values, to work in helping to tear down the cultural barriers which prevent our women and girls from being equal citizens.”

The President made the appeal when he officially launched the HeForShe platform, at the Independence Square in Accra yesterday.
HeForShe is a solidarity campaign for the advancement of women, initiated by UN Women, to provide a systematic approach and targeted platform where global audience can engage and become change agents for the achievement of gender equality.

The platform further crystallises a strategic shift by global development actors to put an increased focus on actions that bring men and boys side by side with women and girls, in order to break through the barriers preventing women and girls from achieving their full potential and contributing to national development.

President Akufo-Addo, holding the dual positions of co-chair of the Eminent Group of Advocates on the 2030 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the African Union Gender Champion for 2017, encouraged all to put their shoulder to the wheel in championing the cause of women.

“We do ourselves and future generations a great disservice if we leave women out of the agenda for development”, he reiterated.
“As the AU Gender Champion, I must, perforce, single out, for special mention and attention during my stay in office, SDG 5, which defines the goal of gender equality and full female empowerment. In my estimation, it is at the heart of the structure of the SDGs”, he added.

The President further pledged to work with all actors to ensure that gender equality becomes reality in Ghana and across the continent.
“I commit to giving full support to the three focus areas under the HeForShe platform for action in Ghana: to end child marriage and negative cultural and traditional practices; to increase women’s participation and representation in political/decision-making spheres, by passing the Affirmative Action Bill in 2018; and to increase women’s economic empowerment, through capacity building and a healthy business environment,” he said.

The project is under the auspices of the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, with support of UN Women.