PRESS RELEASE

Ghana will join the rest of Africa to commemorate the A.U Day of the African Child on Tuesday, 16th June, 2009.
The Day of the African Child was declared by the Organization of African Unity, now the African Union (AU) in commemoration of the massacre of school children who were marching in protest against the discriminatory apartheid educational system on 16th June, 1976 in Soweto, South Africa. The 26th Ordinary Session of Heads of State and Governments of the Organization in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia adopted the Day in July 1990 to bring into focus the issues that affect the effective development and well being of the African Child. The 16th of June of each year is thus set aside for the African Child.

This year’s celebration is under the theme: "Africa Fit for Children: Call for Accelerated Action towards their survival”. As part of activities to celebrate the day, the Department of Children in collaboration with UNICEF and other partner agencies have scheduled the following events:

MONDAY, 15TH JUNE, 2009
REGIONAL REVIEW MEETING BY CHILDREN
MARINA HOTEL, DODOWA
9:00 AM

TUESDAY, 16TH JUNE, 2009
PARTICIPATION IN PROCEEDINGS IN PARLIAMENT
PARLIAMENT HOUSE
10:00 AM

INTERACTION WITH PARLIAMENTARY SELECT COMMITTEE ON GENDER AND CHILDREN
PARLIAMENT HOUSE
2:00 PM

The Minister for Women and Children’s Affairs, Hon. Akua Sena Dansua has said that Ghana and Zimbabwe share a lot in common going by the fact that Ghana and Zimbabwe are sister countries, historically linked through Africa’s struggle for independence. There was therefore the need for strong collaboration between the two countries.

Hon. Akua Sena Dansua said this when the Zimbabwean Ambassador to Ghana, H.E. Mrs. Pavelyn Tendai Musaka paid a courtesy call on her in her office.

The Hon. Minister emphasised that Ghana had a lot to learn from Zimbabwe in terms of political empowerment of women since Zimbabwean women actively participated in the Liberation War leading to their country’s independence and are still actively engaged in the country’s development process. She said that even though women in Ghana contributed largely to the economy through the informal sector, available statistics does not confirm this fact. The Ministry is therefore collaborating with the Statistical Service to ensure that these and many other gender-based statistics are recorded in the 2010 Population and Housing Census, to enhance national development planning.

The Deputy Head of Mission of the Netherlands Embassy in Ghana, Mr. Michiel Bierkens, has commended Government on initiatives undertaken so far towards the implementation of the Domestic Violence Law since its passage in 2007.

Mr. Michiel Bierkens made the commendation when he paid a courtesy call on the Minister of Women and Children’s Affairs, Hon. Akua Sena Dansua, in her office to discuss issues of collaboration and support for programmes of the Ministry. Mr. Bierkins was accompanied on the visit by Mr. Marius W. de Jong, First Secretary (Health and Gender) and Mr. Daniel Batidam, Governance and Gender Advisor.

Mr. Bierkens indicated that the Embassy was happy with the Ministry’s initiatives towards the implementation of the Domestic Violence Law in Ghana. He called for strengthened collaboration between the Ministry and Civil Society Organizations in the implementation of the law and the long term strategies of MOWAC.

The Hon. Minister, Ms. Akua Sena Dansua thanked the Netherlands Government for their support in the implementation of the DV Law and indicated that the Ministry has liaised with the Attorney-General’s Office to come out with a Legislative Instrument (L.I.) on the DV Act as stipulated by law.