By: Ubaida Awudu
The views, concerns, and contributions of Women have been sought in the development of Ghana’s National Action Plan on United Nations Business and Human Rights at a stakeholder workshop in Accra.
It was organised by the Commission of Human Rights and Administrative Justice and funded by the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung.
The 3-day workshop, which included Persons with Disability (PWDs), the Trade Union Congress (TUC), and Women Groups, sought to take the views and inputs of these groups in the development of the National Action Plan. The consultation for the NAP climaxed on Wednesday, August 2.
The objective of these engagements is to sensitise stakeholders on the concept of fundamental human rights and freedoms in business, obtain input from stakeholders into the Drafted National Action Plan and ensure that the action plan is up-to-date and serves the interests of the public.
Co-chairperson of the NAP steering committee, Mary Nartey, said the human rights-based approach is essential for the drafting and implementation of the National Action Plan because it is based on participation, accountability, empowerment, and legality. She enlightened the women about the importance of knowing their rights and preventing others from violating them.
A member of the NAP steering committee, Edward Kareweh, said women are targeted for the workshop because they have special challenges and are more prone to abuse than men. He said the National Action Plan, when implemented, will become a national document by which all institutions, both public and private, will abide.
There are about twenty-four human rights on the website of the UN, but there are still a lot of abuses of these rights, especially in Africa, and that is why the NAP is important.