Honourable Lariba Zuweira Abudu, Deputy Minister for Gender
Lariba Zuweira Abudu, Deputy Minister for Gender, Children, and Social Protection, has called on men and boys to advocate for gender equality.
Speaking on Friday 6th August 2021, at the Launch of the ‘He’s Empowering Lot More Shes’ (HELMS) Initiative, the deputy minister and MP for Walewale Constituency, strongly reiterated that as a nation, we need everyone involved to end gender inequality.
According to her, over the years, emphasis has been laid on empowering the girl-child and, in the process, neglecting the boy-child. The boy-child, despite how society chooses to treat him, is still vulnerable. He is a child just like the girl-child, and therefore, should be handled with care.
We should not sit back and assume that the boy-child will figure his way out of problems because he is a male. She, therefore, applauded the RoyalAid Foundation for bringing up an initiative such as HELMS to develop a balance between male and female empowerment.
In his speech, the founder of RoyalAid Foundation, Dr. S.K. Frimpong, an economist, philanthropist, and a former lecturer at the University of Professional Studies called on Ghanaians to holistically empower the boy child and groom males to understand the girl child’s needs and empower more women. He further acknowledged that the HELMS initiative seeks to empower men and guide them to stand in solidarity with women to create a bold, visible, and united force for gender equality.
The chairman for the occasion, Nana Appiagyei Dankwawo I (President-General of West Africa Nobles Forum), encouraged religious and traditional leaders to support the initiative entirely. He explained that men and boys play a critical role in helping to prevent sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and all kinds of social vices affecting women. Therefore, he is thrilled by the HELMS Initiative for championing the grooming of boys to empower themselves and challenge ideals and attitudes that support violence against women.
Distinguished Men and women attended the colourful and impactful ceremony, including; Hon Elizabeth Ohene (Former Minister of State and the first female editor of Daily Graphic), Hon. Amidu Chinnia Issahaku (Deputy water and sanitation minister ), Hon. Mohammed Adjei Sowah (Accra Mayor), Metro Director of Education, (Mr. Stephen Abamfo), Dr. Eli Atikpui (Fmr Registrar, Medical and Dental Council), Akosua Manu (Deputy CEO, NYA), Apostle Samuel A. Frimpong (General Secretary of the Christ Apostolic Church ), Nana Asare-Afriyie (Manwrehene of Asante Akyem, Domeabra), Dr. Kwame Adu Agyekum (University of Ghana Dept of Marine and Fisheries Sciences), Tawiah Ben-Ahmed, FCIIG (MD, Metropolitan Insurance and President of CIIG), Mr. Peter Osei(CEO of Oyarifa Mall), Araba Koomson (News Editor, Multimedia Group) and many others.
