women:the stronghold of every nation

By Helena Selby

The development of the nation and women having a stronghold in the economy has been one of the greatest priorities of government. It commitment to fulfill both priorities is evidence in its signing and being part of the declaration of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG’s) which is meant to be fulfilled by the year 2015. These goals include the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger, promote gender equality and empower women and develop a global partnership for development. It is very unfortunate that from the look of things the fulfillment of one of these priorities of government leads to the compromising of the fulfillment of the other.

That is to say if government wants women to have a stronghold in the economy then it must be prepared to intensify its ability of fulfilling these MDG’s “ eradication of extreme poverty and hunger, promote gender equality and empower women and develop a global partnership for development”. However the fulfillment of thee goals to empower women in the economy will in a way be to the detriment of the achievement of MDG’s development of a global partnership for development. It will as well lead to the detriment of achieving a spacious, clean and disease free environment in the country.

Women, decongestion and evacuation of traders on the street

Government will indeed achieve one of its priorities at the detriment of another priority if issues be analysed. That is to say majority of women in the country are mostly found in the informal trading sector of the economy and that their involvement in the trading sector is significant for the way forward to their empowerment in the economy and the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger as declared by the MDG’s. However if these goals need to be fulfilled then hawkers and traders on the street will have to be left there for them to continue with their business.

This seems impossible for government as it is important for her to make the environment spacious, clean and disease free to attract investors whom the government develops a global partnership with for development. Government in this case always thinks it wise to eradicate traders and hawkers from the street to make way for a serene environment. Critically analysising issues, government is caught between women empowerment in the economy and the making of the environment spacious, clean and disease free both for the good of the country and for the attraction of investors for development.

Women in the informal sector of the economy

According to International Labour Organization (ILO) the country has a working population of nine million, with women accounting for 51% of the total. The formal sector employs about 13.7% of the labour force aged between 15 and 64, wile the remaining 86.3% work in the informal sector divided between 52% in agriculture and 34.3% in the non-agricultural activities.

Women constitute 77% of the informal sector and engage in both agriculture and non-agricultural activities. Informal trading has been one of the major source of income in the Ghanaian community especially those in the urban areas. There are 1.9 million households operating 2.3 million small business and women operate over 66% of these small businesses.

The majority of the Ghanaian labour force being in the informal sector of the economy indicates that only a few number of the labour force that is those in the formal sector get access to the benefit of social security. This explains that the greater number of women in the informal sector have no guarantee of a secured financial future as they are not covered by social security. According to the Social Security And National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) 2005 10% of the workforce in Ghana mainly those in the formal sector benefits from social security.

Women, decongestion exercise and eradication of hawkers and traders

As a way of creating a serene and congestion free environment, the various metropolitan assemblies have under taken a decongestion exercise to eradicate traders and hawkers from streets. Majority of these assemblies make it a point to provide space for affected victims but for a very few of them, as a result taking away the source of income of the rest of the affected victims.

In this case the government has achieved a good environment at the expense of the livelihood of the people. Affected people have no choice than to sell during the night in order not to be caught by the police for their items to be ceased.

In the mid part of last week it was reported that traders near the Novotel Hotel in Accra have threatened to walk naked to Osu Castle, to petition President Mills against alleged unfair treatment being meted out to them by the City Mayor, Alfred Nii Lantey Vanderpuije. According to the report their action was due to a deadline given to them to evacuate the premises and relocate to the Odawna satellite market. Some of these trader have decided not to leave the premises as the proposed place given tot them is too small to accommodate them, moreover when it rains, the Odaw River overflows its banks, and would make selling very difficult for them. According t the traders they will consider relocating to the proposed center if the city authorities to do a proper survey, and expand the facilities at the new market.

Some of these women are pleading with government to come to their aid since some of them are single parent and have no one to turn to and others claim will be in the grip of the law if they are sacked from their present location as they are working with credited goods and bank loans.

What are the opinions on of some citizens?

What is government suppose to do now? Mr. Sampson Okeyre a building contractor lamented, the decongestion seem to be a good thing as one does not get stressed out when he goes to town. He said traders evacuating the various streets have been one of the wisest decisions that government has made since it has even reduced the number of pick pocket on the streets. It has brought proper ventilation on the environment hence helping to eradicate all kinds of air borne diseases on the environment.

For Mr. Adom Ofori, a businessman he sees those against decongestion exercise and traders evacuation from the street as enemies of progress. He said Ghanaians should try and cooperate as they have always been yearning to get an environment as serene and orderly like that of the Whiteman’s land. He noted that there is no point claiming not to vote for the government in power again as the government’s decision is for the good of the whole nation.

Mrs. Clara Instiful a clerk in one of the banks in the country noted that, it is indeed disturbing for women in particular even though government is doing the right thing. She said women who mostly feel the heat of the economy will find it difficult taking care of the family especially when they are single mothers. According to her if really government has their good at heart, then it should find a way to empathize with them.

Conclusion

It is evident that government is trapped between the Israelites and the red sea; it is up to her to decide on how to give the heart desire of victims of decongestion and traders on the street. If these traders want expansion, then there has to be some kind of expansion. If they want authorities to give a real survey of the place then they ought to do it. They don’t have to solve a situation at the expense of another but give solution to all. Mind you, the plight of these traders might seem to be their plight only but indirectly its consequence is a great burden to the country as a whole. It is up to the government to decide and decide well to make the country a better place for all citizens after all it’s their motherland.