Men advised to play active role in promoting gender equality at workplaces

The participants of the workshop in a group photograph at the workshop

Ghanaian men have been advised to play an active role in the promotion of gender equality at their workplaces to ensure the creation of opportunities for all to thrive.

According to Rosemond Asamoa-Frimpong, Manager in charge of Gender and Social Inclusion Unit (GSI) of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), the involvement of males in gender issues at the workplace results in favourable working environment for all genders.

Speaking at the opening of a three-day training workshop at Akosombo yesterday, she said, it was time for males to lead discussions about gender equality to help realise the intended response.

Organised by the ECG in collaboration with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the training workshop was primarily for GSI focal persons and other staff of ECG.

Drawn from all ECG operational regions, the event, which was on the theme, “Male Engagement in Advancing Gender Equity”, had other attendees including representatives from Women in Engineering (WinE), and identifiable bodies in ECG .

Madam Asamoa-Frimpong emphasized on the need to empower males with knowledge and skills needed to promote gender equity within their respective work space.

Emphasising the importance of male engagement in the advancement of gender equality, she said, it would help in achieving team building and collaboration and sustainable progress.

“Engaging males in gender issues in organisations creates equal opportunities for all to thrive. The ECG is promoting male participation in gender issues to create opportunities for all.

Often times when issues of gender are raised at the workplace and other settings, the attention is skewed towards advancing the cause of females. We need to handle gender issues from the point of view of both men and women,” she added.

The ECG, she said, had developed a supportive and inclusive workplace to ensure all workers have equal opportunities to succeed and foster a shared responsibility in advancing gender equality.

“This training workshop is not only meant to equip the participants with valuable tools and insights but also serve as a platform for knowledge sharing and collaboration as well as explore innovative approaches to driving positive change at the workplace,” MsAsamoa-Frimpong stated.

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Gender Coach, KhumoMokhethiurged the participants to adapt best practices for promoting gender equity, with a particular focus on the role of men in driving meaningful change in organisations.

She therefore charged the participants to endeavour to train other staff on the knowledge acquired to promote a gender sensitive work environment for ECG

BY CLAUDE NYARKO ADAMS