THE Federation of Muslim Women’s Associations in Ghana (FOMWAG) has acknowledged the importance of the forthcoming national census to the development of women and children.
The association said, the census would produce reliable data on the current status of women and children in the country and enable policy makers and implementers to plan effectively to improve their living conditions.
The National President of FOMWAG, Dr Rabiatu Ammah made this view known to the Daily Graphic during the association’s 16th Biennial Conference, which took place in Tamale over the weekend.
The three-day conference, which was held on the theme “Iqraa: its implications for the Muslim family,” brought together Muslim women from all parts of the country to deliberate on how to advance their course.
Apart from receiving various Islamic teachings, the participants were also sensitised to some health conditions, notably cervical cancer and obstetric fistula.
“As women, we appreciate the importance of the census, especially at this stage when we are exploring various means of improving the lives of women and children who are disadvantaged,” Dr Ammah stated.
She said adequate data was needed to design development programmes that would address the challenges facing women and children, such as maternal and child mortality, HIV and AIDS, poverty, lack of credit and poor representation and governance.
Dr Ammah again noted that the current data available was outdated because the population of the country had increased significantly since that data was produced.
She said FOMWAG would use its available platforms to educate its members and other Muslim women to fully support the census by co-operating with census officials when the exercise starts .
The president further noted that Islam was in total support of all efforts made to empower women to contribute efficiently to the social, economic and spiritual wellbeing of their communities.
She however noted that women would not make the desired impact on their communities if they were not educated and given the requisite skills.
Dr Ammah entreated her Muslim women colleagues to show interest in local governance and national politics, noting that “as Muslim women we can only impact positively on our communities when we get involved at the decision making levels.
“But, first of all, we must get ourselves well informed, schooled, disciplined and ready to sacrifice for our community and nation.”
On issues regarding the association, the president revealed that the association had plans to build an Islamic school complex that would cater for the education of their children.
According to her, a piece of land situated at Ashiaman had been earmarked for the project, and what was needed was the funding to undertake the project.
Speaking on behalf of the Northern Regional Minister, the Mayor of Tamale, Alhaji Haruna Friday explained that the times when women were downplayed were over.
“Today, we are in a world where the role of women in the development process is increasingly being acknowledged and this therefore calls for more attention to women empowerment,” he stated.
Alhaji Friday implored the women to take full advantage of various development packages, particularly those from the northern sector, like the Savannah Accelerated Development Initiative.
He advised them not to let politics divide their ranks, noting that “when we leave behind our partisan colours, we are capable of pushing forward the development agenda in a more concerted way.”
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