Our CEO was invited to speak on a panel on addressing the vulnerabilities of the 21st centruy woman in the context of irregular migration and unemployment. The Ghanaian-German Centre and the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations were the organizers of the #GGCGenderconference
The Conference was really a humbling moment as we heard heartbreaking stories of the experiences of people who use the gulf states to migrate to other countries. The amount of misinformation that causes the women to migrate and what they had endured, sent chills down our spine.
We wanted to share some key take aways. Even though the the nature of work is changing when it comes to the care and domestic work the change is slow. The government is working on a domestic workers’ bill to protect the right of domestic workers and houses helps. There was a suggestion that since there is free SHS there should be a conversation on how domestic workers benefit.
How do we put an end to women trafficking? Dr. Angela Dwamenah (Executive Director, The Arc Foundation) made a strong call for the need for homegrown solutions. Ghana’s public institutions need to be improved and must not depend on international NGO’s. She asked what happens when these international aid organizations leave. She also stated that government is good in putting together policies and laws but more work need to be done to ensure that they are enforced
According to Mr Eugene Korletey, Acting Chief Labour Officer at the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations (MELR). The Ghanaian government is putting in place measures against illegally acting private employment agencies to ensure that Ghanaians are safe when they travel abroad!
There was a marketplace where 20 organizations showcased the services and products they could offer to returnees from irregular migration to support them. We of course offered free digital skills training to help them be successful in an increasingly digital world and connect them to jobs and opportunities to start their own business.
Kudos to Ghanaian-German Center for all their hard work and putting this conference together.
I love the theme. Let us all be a voice and not an echo especially when it comes to women rights and gender equality.
#BeAVoiceNotAnEcho
#GIZGhana
