The wife of the Vice President, Hajia Samira Bawumia, has urged Muslim women to “hang up” the deep-seated religious and cultural nuisances inhibiting their pursuit to attaining greater heights in life.
In the Quran, she said Muslim women had a diverse heritage of economic empowerment, including becoming successful businesswomen, entrepreneurs, traders, farmers, artisans, and philanthropists that dated back to the time of Prophet Mohammed.
Such illustrious women exemplified that Islam does not hold back women’s economic empowerment but provided them with several rights and opportunities to own property and inherit wealth.
Mrs Bawumia said this in a speech read on her behalf at the 26th Annual Conference of the Federation of Muslim Women Association—Ghana (FOMWAG) at Kyiase near Komenda-Junction in the Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem (KEEA) Municipality of the Central Region.
With its presence in 16 regions and 80 districts across the country, FOMWAG seeks to empower Muslim women to abide by the teachings of Islam through the Qur’an and the Hadith (Sunnah).
The bi-annual conference was on the theme: “Towards Economic Empowerment of the Muslim Women for a Sustainable Community.”
FOMWAG also held many activities including health screening, skills training, capacity building, donations, fund-raising to support education, and citations in honour of some members for their dedicated services.
Mrs Bawumia noted that despite those Islamic teachings, many Muslim women face challenges including poverty, illiteracy, finance, technology, training and mentorship, discrimination, harassment, violence, and ethnic norms that restrict their mobility and choices.
Those challenges, she said, are not only detrimental to women’s well-being and dignity but their families, communities, and the nation’s development as well.
Hajia Hajara Issahaku, the National Amirah of FOMWAG, said the group serves as a liaison between Muslim women and government on policies.
It seeks to promote peaceful co-existence in communities, education, and advocacy against cultural inhibitions such as forced and early marriages, she said, and urged all Muslim women to join.
The Member of Parliament for KEEA, Samuel Atta Mills, and, the Municipal Chief Executive, Ebo Appiah, as well as traditional authorities, lauded FOMWAG for empowering women.
GNA