STAKEHOLDERS IN GHANA CONSULT ON CEDAW SHADOW REPORT

Photo: Dana Smillie/World Bank

Ghana is a signatory to many international conventions. The country has ratified the International Labour Organization (ILO) conventions on protecting the rights of workers, eliminating child labor as well as eliminating the worst form of labor.

However, stakeholders have expressed reservations about the commitment to the effective implementation of such laws and policies. Even though the country has adopted the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), gender inequality and discrimination against women still persists.


Addressing a two-day workshop for Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) and Civil Society Organizations (CSO) on the CEDAW/NGO Shadow Report, the country representative of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Babatunde Ahonsi, called on the country’s leaders to show more commitment to the full implementation of the convention.

He said Ghana, as a member of the world body, is sworn to protect the basic human rights of all, particularly marginalized groups including women. He however bemoaned the existence of many socio-cultural practices that continue to promote discrimination against women and appealed for more effort in sensitizing the minds of the public to the contrary.

The NGO Shadow Report highlights a document drafted by over 50 NGOs and CSOs in Ghana. The report highlights the challenges inhibiting women from enjoying their fundamental human rights. The report particularly notes the absence of a clear provision dealing with discrimination against women in Ghana’s constitution and penal code. It therefore calls for the removal of all impediments facing women in accessing justice.

The national consultation on NGO Shadow Report on CEDAW brought together key players from government and civil society organizations.

- story by Zarina Amandi