A week ago today many women most of them Muslims converged on the premises of ‘Standpoint’, Gifty Anti’s initiative for championing the cause of women.
Although it was a conference of Muslim women she was hosting under the theme “The Role of Muslim In Development and Ensuring Peace During The Elections,” the door was open for men to participate and many of them did turn up.
By the time the three female resource persons were done with their presentations, my stance that women should be given as much opportunities as their male counterparts, was served an extra joule.
Hajia Halima Mahama, the first Gender Minister, Hajia Sa’Adat Meida and Hajia Ramatu Muslim were the ladies in the driving seat, their presentations forming important basis for assessing women in the Islamic faith vis a vis national development.
Although it was an all-female affair, the chairman was a man, Sheikh Aremeyaw Shaibu the spokesman for the National Chief Imam.
A picture of the National Chief Imam and Gifty overlooked the resource persons who were fully veiled as they sat on the high table. The picture was a depiction of Gifty’s visit to the cleric when she went to engage him on the issue of forced marriage following the rescue mission she had undertaken when a young girl upon completion of the Odorgonno Senior High School was being forced into marriage.
The tone for the conference was set by Gifty in her welcome address as her husband, the chief, sat among the mostly Muslim guests.
The array of veiled Muslim ladies young and old, married and unmarried said it all about the complexities and dynamics of the Islamic community which forms a respectable segment of the country’s demography.
The main presentations were preceded by solidarity messages from varied sources one being a representative of the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service. The Police officer encouraged her colleague women not to allow anybody to plunge the country into chaos in the name of elections. Tolerance should be the watchword, she sermonized, her confidence particularly providing an impetus for the digestion of her remarks.
Irbad Ibrahim dubbed peace ambassador was there too. He extolled the virtues of Gifty, her feats forming the basis of his conclusion. He condemned war pointing out that when there is calamity it is women and children who suffer the most.
While describing the programme as momentous, he was lavish with his impression of Gifty referring to her as the Theresa May of Ghana.
When the time was due for the individual presentation by the resource persons, the attention they received was electric with the audience listening with rapt concentration.
Madam Rahmat Muslim, who I learnt is the mother of Shamima Muslim formerly of City FM opened the floor with her presentation; a witty discourse.
Her regular quotation from the Holy Quran, the Islamic scriptures was a testimony about how much women had sought knowledge reminding me about that famous quotation from the Holy Quran which appeared to have captured the attention of Gifty as she referred to it in her remarks. “Seek knowledge even if you have to go China to do so” is contained in the Holy Quran and underscores the importance of knowledge in Islam. China was considered the farthest part of the world and so if the quest for knowledge took man there, so be it.
She charged women to seek knowledge as she referred to Iqra. When Angel Gabriel appeared to Prophet Mohammed at a time when he could neither read nor write, the angel ordered him to read in the name of God. He then was imbibed with the ability to read and write.
Islam is hinged upon discipline, she said, adding that the members of the faith should desist from engaging in actions to the contrary because this negativity is a breach of the religion.
Both faiths, Islam and Christianity uphold discipline she said, as she demanded of parents to ensure that their kids walked on the path of this virtue.
She demanded of women to reflect upon the current developments in the world especially the flashpoints in West Africa and take steps to nip potential trouble in the bud.
“Don’t preach peace and act in the contrary. That smacks hypocrisy” she said.
Her presentation ended with a spontaneous round of applause suggesting that the audience was satisfied.
If the guests expected to hear headline remarks from Hajia Sa’Adat Meida because she is one of the top personalities at the Electoral Commission (EC) she told them not to expect too much.
She understandably had to be measured in her assignment being a delicate one.
“No war is justifiable. Let us not encourage our youth to engage in war. Let us all learn how to deal with our differences” she charged women who she described as peacemakers and coaches who instill skills in others.
Women are critical segments of the country’s population whose decision not to vote can be critical especially since men constitute only 48 percent of the population.
Once a teacher always a teacher was what I told Hajia Halima Mahama after her presentation, the law in her also visible when she addressed her audience.
Her reading of the Holy Quran in English she said has made her a better Muslim pointing out that what matters is about our deeds not gender.
She charged women to love each other and position themselves to serve humanity.
All, she said, should abide by the Constitution as the source of our laws. She underscored the service to God which according to her should reflect in how we deal with each other; women she said lack the critical mass with which to effect changes in the status quo in establishments.
Women, she said, should educate each other about good governance adding that they should also be able to detect conflict signs and take the necessary action to stop them. “You may not be able to go to the EC but you can come together and discuss such matters with a view to arriving at appropriate actions to take. Let us hold institutions accountable.”
She recalled the Liberian conflict, its genesis, the fallouts and how it was women who eventually assist in the restoration of peace.
Peace must originate from our institutions, she said pointing out that “these institutions must be credible.”
Turning to Charlotte Osei she said “we want to see Charlotte succeed as the first woman to head the EC so she should be focused and firm and fair; Ghanaians are peace-loving people.”
“Let her work with all interest groups. Let us support each other.”
By the time the programme ended, the many women who graced the occasion had a learnt a lot about how they can impact positively on the progress of the nation. Oheneyere Gifty Anti had every reason to smile for hosting a conference to commemorate her ‘Standpoint’ feminine initiative.
By A.R. Gomda