BACKGROUND /INTRODUCTION
The fourth world Conference on women took place in Beijing, China in 1995, ten years after 3rd World Conference on women in Nairobi. The Beijing Conference marked a significant turning point in the struggle toward gender equality and women’s empowerment and successfully defined a global programme for women’s advancement and empowerment.

The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (BPfA) reflect a new international commitment to the goals of equality, development and peace for all women everywhere. It also asserts the mainstreaming of gender as a key strategy for promoting and achieving gender equality and sustainable development. The Beijing Platform for Action (BPfA) highlighted the special role that men can play in promoting and achieving gender equality.

The United Nations’ Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) compiles reports on yearly basis and expects national governments who attend the CSW and are signatories to the Beijing Declaration to report on their countries’ performance and implementation of the twelve (12) critical areas of concern.

The Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs (MOWAC) which has the mandate to champion the cause of all women and children in the development process of Ghana, and ensure that their concerns are properly mainstreamed, has on behalf of Ghana been reporting annually on the country’s performance.

MINISTER

STATEMENT BY HON. MINISTER AT THE CENTENARY CELEBRATION OF THE LATE OSAGYEFO DR. KWAME NKRUMAH

I am very honoured at the opportunity to speak at this very important event to mark the 100th birthday of the Founder and First President of our dear Nation, Ghana. I would like with your indulgence to start my speech by asking these simple questions which I respectfully ask that we answer individually. Is Ghana’s history complete without Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah? Did women play a part in Ghana’s independence struggle and can Ghana’s development be complete without the effective participation of women?

Excellencies, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, it is on behalf of the hardworking and committed women of Ghana that I stand before you to make this short speech. We are celebrating Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah today, because of his monumental achievements, including spearheading Ghana’s independence on March 6th, 1957.

Excellencies, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, most of you will recall that, Ghana’s independence was fought and won with the active participation of men and women, the youth, Chiefs, Queen mothers and even children because of the involvement of some of us as Young Pioneers. In recognition of the great contribution of women in the independence struggle Dr Nkrumah created non-elected seats for them in Parliament.