Australia would continue promoting women empowerment in West Africa- Commissioner

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Accra, Mar. 9, GNA – Mr William (Billy) Williams, Australian High Commissioner to Ghana has assured that the Australian Government would continue supporting Women empowerment in West Africa to enhance their livelihood.

He said the Australian High Commission in Ghana has funded a number of small projects to support the developments of activities of non-governmental organizations, including women’s economic and social empowerment.

“Currently the Australia Africa community Grants Scheme, funded by AusAid, is implementing approximately eight major projects in West Africa, which are, (World March of Women),in Burkina Faso, (Search for Common Ground), in Cote d’ Ivoire, and (Equilibres Et Populations), in Mali,

The others are (Health Poverty Action), in Sierra Leone, (Volunteers to Support International Efforts in Developing Africa), in Liberia and (Women Empowerment, WERENGO) Project, ‘International Needs Australia in partnership with International Needs Ghana’, in Ghana, worth 953,644.00 Australian dollars (GHC1,732,500), which impacted directly on the lives of women.”

Mr Williams was speaking at the launch of the International Women’s Day celebration, on the Australian theme of: ‘Supporting Economics Empowerment for Women’, on Thursday in Accra, organized by the Australian High Commission.

He emphasized that women’s empowerment and capacity building was the priorities of the Australian Government.

“Nearly half of Australian overall aid program is invested in activities that are either primary or secondary objective of promoting gender equity and empowering women. As Australia activities in West Africa expand, including diplomacy, development and trade and investment, we would continue to make women’s right a priority.”

Mr Williams noted that Australia was supporting the Network of NGO’s in the Western Region of Ghana (WERENGO) with an amount of 74,727 Australian dollars to improve maternal and child health in the poorest communities of six districts, saying that, “about 285 thousand women and children are expected to benefit from the program.”

“It is clear that supporting women’s cooperatives and promoting women’s skills is a good way to ensure that economic and social transformation can take place more quickly.”

He said Australia would also support women’s role in development through the Australian Youth Ambassador for Development volunteer program, under which 24 young Australian women have been placed in host organization to support local capacity building, since the programme commenced in Ghana in 2010.

“Under the Australia Awards Scholarships program, for Africa in 2012, 46 per cent of long-term awards recipients and 39 per cent of short course awards recipients are women. By 2013, the Australian Awards programme will offer one thousand scholarships annually across Africa,” he said.

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