Ghanaian Girls’ Progress in Science and Math Noted at Commission on the Status of Women

New York - The idea that girls and women are key players in development, but that they need more support, particularly in the areas of information, technology and communication, was a theme that echoed throughout two weeks of formal and informal proceedings at the 55th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women.

Ghana's delegation was able to point to successes in this area

On the first day of the two-week meeting, Minister of Women and Children's Affairs, Mrs. Juliana Azumah-Mensah, told the Commission of Ghana's quest to bridge the gender imbalance and misconception about girls participation in science and technology. She pointed the Ghana's Technology and Mathematics Education (STME) clinics that encourage girls' engagement in the sciences.

Lessons learned from the clinics have led to the establishment of the Girls Education Unit of the Ghana Education Service and have increased the enrolment of girls in the sciences particularly at the tertiary levels.

Before the introduction of this programme, Mrs. Azumah-Mensah said, only 12 per cent of girls were enrolled in the sciences and 2 per cent in mathematics at the Senior High School level. Currently female students constitute 25 per cent of students studying the tertiary level an achievement which is great but said there is the need to achieve the 30 per cent target that was set.

The Commission is an annual event that gives the opportunity to member countries to report on the progress made in the advancement of women since 1975, when Member States began collecting gender statistics.

This annual event has undoubtedly pushed the concerns of women in Africa and particularly Ghana to the forefront. This year Ghana was represented at the annual commission by the Minister of Women and Children's Affairs, Mrs. Juliana Azumah-Mensah and her team, including Mr. Gershion Kumor, Ms. Patience Opoku, and Ms. Lina Alai all of the Women's Ministry. Many other sectors of Ghana were represented as well, by Ms Georgina Quaisie of Ministry of Education, Ms. Marian Tackie of Ministry of Health, Ms. Amina Bin Salih of Ministry of Agriculture/ FAO, Mr. James Addy of the Ghanaian Time and Spectator and Ms. Doris M Aglobitse of UNFPA.

The Ghanaian delegation at the meeting left a strong and positive impression because of their unity of purpose and ability to demonstrate workable strategies for the empowerment of girls and women‘s participation in the sciences