By Samuel SAM
The Director of the Centre for Equity and Equal Opportunity Advocacy (CEEOA) at Tamale Technical University (TaTU), Professor Adiza Sadik, has called for the effective implementation of gender policies to address barriers hindering the development of women and children in society.
According to her, implementing the policy, which outlines Ghana’s commitment to gender equality and women’s empowerment, is critical to creating a safe and supportive environment for women and children — enabling them to learn, grow and lead in driving the nation’s transformative agenda for economic growth.
Speaking at this year’s International Women’s Day celebration held at the ICT Auditorium of TaTU, Prof. Sadik emphasised the need for government, civil society organisations, academia and traditional leaders to collaborate in promoting life-long learning opportunities, mentorship and networking platforms that empower women at every stage of their academic and professional journeys.
This year’s event, themed ‘Accelerate Actions for Inclusive Participation in Education, Entrepreneurship, and Family Life’, was organised in partnership with the Women’s Commission of the TaTU Students’ Representative Council (SRC) and brought together stakeholders from academia, non-governmental organisations, research institutions, staff and students of TaTU.
Prof. Sadik noted that despite significant efforts to ensure equal access to education globally, many girls in Ghana continue to face barriers preventing them from accessing quality education, particularly in science, engineering and leadership fields.
“As educators, we also have the responsibility to identify the potential of the women and girls we teach and encourage them to pursue programmes that will help build their futures,” she said.
“Our role as a university is not only to equip women with the skills and knowledge they need but also to remove the barriers that hinder their progress,” she added.
Prof. Sadik further stressed the importance of ensuring that entrepreneurship programmes, funding opportunities and innovation hubs are inclusive and responsive to the diverse needs of women.
She also called for recognition of women’s contributions in the home; and emphasised that caregiving responsibilities should not limit career advancement. She advocated for family-friendly policies that benefit all.
Professor Afi Abu Jaja, educationist and gender expert at the University for Development Studies (UDS), commended the centre and TaTU for their continued efforts in promoting women’s growth through their academic programmes.
Ms Mohammed Nana Ayisha, TaTU SRC Women’s Commissioner, said the event formed part of activities aimed at encouraging more girls and women to climb the higher academic ladder and harness their potential to contribute meaningfully to national economic growth.
