Mrs Petra deGraft-Johnson of
the Advocacy and Legal Advice Centre (ALAC) of the Ghana Integrity Initiative
(GII), has observed that corruption is a critical developmental challenge with
negative effects largely on women and their involvement in the fight against
the menace would help solidify efforts to create a corruption free country.
She underscored the importance of empowering
women to make their voices heard in the fight against corruption and urged them
to use the right channels to report corruption in their communities.
Mrs Petra deGraft-Johnson
made the observation at a community durbar under the theme, ‘Bridging right
education to rural women’, at Moree in the Central Region. It was under the
Integrity, Mobilisation, Participation, Accountability, Anti-Corruption and
Transparency (IMPACT) Project funded by the Global Affairs Canada under the
auspices of Transparency International.
It sought to provide women with a deeper
understanding of corruption, sensitise them on existing corruption, reporting
mechanisms and the importance of reporting corruption and the engagement also
created platforms for rural women to understand the manifestations of
corruption; how it affects them and the role they can play to combat it.
According to Mrs Petra deGraft-Johnson, “Ghanaian women have been encouraged to show personal and collective commitments, determination and dedication in efforts to fight corruption, women are more disadvantaged in corrupt systems yet their role in combating corruption is very minimal.”
Mrs Ellen Osei, a Director of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) expressed concern about the fast rate corruption was spreading in every facet of the society and admonished the citizenry not to see acts of corruption as a normal phenomenon, rather a canker that had dire consequences on the developmental agenda of the nation.
Mrs Dorcas Tandoh and Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) John Paul Akonde the District Director of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), and the District Police Commander respectively, took turns to address the women on anti-corruption laws focusing on the Whistle Blowers’ Act.
They both urged the women to resolve to eschew all forms of corruption in their daily activities and courageously report people who engage in it to be named and shamed. –GNA
