Gender
More women to become players in energy sector
DMWA Resources, a Pan-African energy marketing and investment holding organisation, has endorsed the gender equity campaign, ‘Equal by 30’, which aims to encourage women in the clean energy sector to access equal pay, equal leadership and equal opportunities.
Alongside six partner organisations, DMWA has joined the campaign to increase the total number of signatories to 144, including 118 organisations, 13 partners and 13 governments.
The organisation said it wants to encourage its clients and partners to “have a strong inclusive agenda, which will facilitate women’s involvement in the energy industry”.
According to the Peterson Institute for International Economics, increasing the number of women in leadership positions from 0 to 30 per cent translates to a 15 per cent boost in profits.
A study, conducted in 2015 by the McKinsey Global Institute, emphasised the essence of taking steps to advance greater equality for women, such as employing more women in technology and boosting women’s participation in the workforce.
It noted that the world could add $12 trillion to its economy by 2026, hence the need for public, private, and social sectors to close gender gaps in work and society.
Sebastian Wagner, Managing Partner at DMWA Resources described the move as “a unique position to bring women on board decisively, as investors or creators of opportunities to invest in”.
“We’re really proud to become signatory today and firmly believe that any sound investment must be one that has women on board.
“Our core focus is on creating long-term value to benefit ourselves, our partners, host countries and their citizens. We are certain that this cannot be achieved without women’s participation,” he added.
Endorsement of the ‘Equal by 30’ campaign implies DMWA Resources is committed to offering a safe, transparent, respectful and inclusive work environment and attractive opportunities for development for all its staff, including women.
The organisation said it would “provide training opportunities to all employees to avoid toxic or misogynistic working environments, so that its workplaces are free of harassment, violence and bullying behaviours”.
Among several other commitments, the energy marketing company added that it would attract women in all departments and aim for approximately 50 per cent representation of women across all levels, including leadership teams and at board level, by the year 2030.
“We commit to providing career progression opportunities as well as backing investments led by women and which will encourage women’s participation in the energy industry,” the company noted.
The ‘Equal by 30’ campaign is a joint initiative of the Clean Energy, Education and Empowerment Initiative which works to advance the participation of women in the clean energy transition and to close the gender gap.
‘Equal by 30’ is led and based at Natural Resources Canada, a division of the Government of Canada.
By Gender desk
Gender
Naa Ayele Osabu leads initiative to groom teenagers
Naa Ayele Osabu
An initiative to inspire the next generation, especially teenagers, by indulging them in after-school activities and programmes, is set to be launched on Saturday, November 30, 2024.
It would be launched by the Ga Mantse, Nii Tackie Teiko Tsuru II.
Dubbed, “Heal the world/Make it a better place”, the initiative undertaken by a youth based non-governmental organisation, would involve teenagers aged 11-17 years and selected from schools in the catchment area.
Speaking to The Spectator, Naa Ayele Osabu, the lead of the initiative, said it targeted kids in the Ga communities because there was a high prevalence rate of teenage pregnancy and school dropouts in those communities.
Additionally, she explained that with the introduction of the after-school programmes and activities such as karate, arts and crafts, the kids would have an experience that fostered discipline, sparked creativity, and develop their mental capacity to become more productive in their communities.
Furthermore, Naa Osabu said experts and professionals in respective programmes would be available to enrol participants and engage them.
The initiative, she said, was a long-term project to roll out in many other communities globally and therefore urged all stakeholders to support to ensure its successful implementation.
Naa Osabu, who owns Ayele Kelewele (a local food restaurant) has had one of the most challenging experiences as a child. “It’s during these tough times that I figured it would be best to make an impact in the society while the business is yet to blossom, hence this initiative.”
“Being a Ga girl, I know the challenges a lot of these young kids face on daily basis. This project will give these kids in the Ga community an opportunity that will, equip them with skills, spark their creativity and achieve the dreams they never thought will be possible,” she stated.
BY BENJAMIN ARCTON-TETTEY
Gender
50 women screened for breast cancer in Hohoe
Some participants at the event
A Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Forshes Africa Foundation, has organised a breast cancer awareness campaign in Hohoe, and educated residents on the need to ensure regular screening exercise for cancer for early detection and treatment.
The one-day cancer screening exercise, which was under the theme: “Early detection save lives”, saw 50 women screened for the disease, and those who were suspected of early development of cancer were referred to the Volta Regional Hospital at Hohoe for further medical examination.
Speaking at the programme, the Project Manager of Forshes Africa Foundation (FAF), Pastor Nana Jones Boame, stressed the need for women who were mostly victims of breast cancer to at all times take proactive measures to ensure they were safe from the disease.
Referencing Proverbs 27: 12 of the Bible which read “the prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and pay the penalty,” Pastor Boame emphasised the need to be cautious and take preventive actions to avoid harm.
He explained that in the context of breast cancer, early detection through screening was a wise and proactive step to potentially save lives through early diagnosis and treatment.
According to him, it was important for breast cancer survivors both male and females to share their experiences in order to offer hope to newly diagnosed breast cancer patients, saying breast cancer also affects men but was only prevalent among women.
An Oncology Nurse Specialist at the Volta Regional Hospital, Mr Jonas Ntikie Njibe, explained that breast cancer simply occurred when cells in the breast grew uncontrollably, which could affect men and women but commonly found among women, therefore it was important for men to also screen and know their breast cancer status.
Mr Njibe said there was the need for people to adopt healthy lifestyles to reduce cancer, including regular exercise, maintaining a healthy weight and eating balanced diet which were crucial means to reduce cancer in the society.
From Samuel Agbewode, Hohoe
