The Network of Professional Women in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WiWASH) has marked International Women’s Day with a call for greater participation of women in the WASH sector.
The event which took place at the head office of the Ghana Water Limited (GWL) in Accra, with an interactive symposium, was on the theme: ‘Inspiring Inclusion Everywhere, Our Collective Responsibility’.
The symposium, attended by Board Members, male and female members of GWL top management and members of WiWASH, was, among others, to commemorate International Women’s Day and to recognise the remarkable contributions of women in the WASH sector.
Participants were taught how they can strive and grow at the workplace and in society at large.
Across the globe, women have been at the forefront of addressing the pressing challenges surrounding access to clean water, proper sanitation facilities, and hygiene education.
Dr. Clifford Braimah, Managing Director, GWL, in an address on his behalf, said GWL had actively worked to break the
gender barriers and opened doors for talented women to rise and thrive at the workplace.
‘From a mere two women in decision-making roles some seven years ago, we now proudly boast of six women holding various chief managerial positions, with many more flourishing in middle management roles,’ the MD said.
Dr. Braimah commended women in GWL and the WASH sector for their achievements, resilience, and commitment to excellence in the face of challenges.
He urged the women in the sector to recognise that their voices, perspectives, and contributions were invaluable, as they shaped the future of the organization and the communities the company served.
Mrs. Vida Duti, County Director, IRC-WASH, in her keynote address, encouraged women not to be influenced by popular sayings like ‘behind every successful man is a woman’ and ‘what a man can do women can do better.’
Such comments, she said, conditioned women’s minds and constrained them from unleashing their potential.
Mrs. Duti, also a Board Member of GWL, said s
ome of those statements led to unnecessary tension and competition between men and women and thus advised against it.
Mrs. Faustina Boachie, President, WiWASH, who shared her story of rising from a humble beginning to a top management position, urged the women in the sector not to look on helplessly when they faced barriers and obstacles in their forward march but find innovative ways to go around them to realize their objectives.
The event also had engaging panel discussions on how women could strive and grow at the workplace and in society at large.
Other dignitaries, including Professor Benedicta Fosu-Mensah and Dr Rita Boateng of the University of Ghana, Mr James Abbey, the General Manager for Finance and Administration, GWL, and other Chief Managers of the Company took turns to address the women at the function.
Source: Ghana News Agency