Madam Nancy Amel Dery, the Founder and Chief Executive of Women Powering Possibilities (WPP), has said that women empowerment and advocacy for gender equality was not a campaign for women to indulge in violent competition against men.
She said it was rather about lobbying and seeking the support of men to appreciate the potential of women and the substance women bring to the table across all fields of human development.
Madam Dery said this at a symposium organized by the SDD University of Business and Integrated Development Studies (UBIDS) chapter of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) to commemorate the International Women's Day (IWD) at the campus of Wa Senior High School.
"It's about lobbying them to understand that give me the opportunity, support me, pat me to get there to make you proud for our society, for where we come from and the generation to come after us," he said.
She added that it was for women to identify their goals, strengths, weaknesses, and other inherent potentials to enable them to take on deserving duties and seek men's support to succeed in other roles.
Madam Dery also encouraged men and boys to accord women and girls the needed support to venture into areas that were mostly men-dominated which women, however, could equally occupy.
Madam Linat Osman Kundaribuo, the Executive Director of Teen Talk Ghana, added that the advocacy was not to say girls should be disrespectful towards their male counterparts but to be confident when they had to.
She encouraged the girls to not confine themselves to roles and areas they find comfortable because they are said to be feminine but to challenge the status quo.
"Do not limit yourselves because you're girls. You're in class with boys who when the results come on your notice board, you're far ahead of them; so why is it that you cannot take up those leadership positions?" she quizzed.
She indicated that women by their multitasking nature, which is a good character trait of a leader, stood tall when it comes to the execution of leadership duties with every opportunity given to them.
On his part, the UTAG-UBIDS President, Dr. Joseph Wulifan said the International Women's Day was a rallying cry to address the systemic inequalities and injustices that were meted out to women.
"It's a call to action for individuals, communities, governments, and organizations to step up their efforts in promoting gender equality and empowering women and girls," he said.
He advocated for awareness raising, policy changes, and fostering of inclusive environments to "create a more equitable world where every individual, regardless of gender, has the opportunity to thrive and fulfil their potential."
The theme for this year's International Women's Day celebration was "Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress."