Garu women demand equal access to agric flagship programmes
About 300 women in the GaruTempane District of the Upper East Region have called on the government to create an enabling environment for women to have equal access to its flagship programmes, such as Planting for Food and Jobs and Rearing for Food and Jobs.
The Women made the appeal after participating in a route match through principal streets of Garu over the weekend as part of activities to mark this year’s International Day of Rural Women which falls on October 15every year.
The carried placards some which read: “Value women”, Empower Women”, ” Equal access to productive resources.”
The event, attended by women’s groups, traditional and religious leaders was organised by the Presbyterian Agricultural Station and Faranaya with the theme “Rural women cultivating good food for all.”
The International Day of Rural Women was instituted by the United Nations (UN) and used to recognise the role of rural women in contributing to improving food security and eradicating rural poverty worldwide.
One of the Spokespersons for the Women’s group, Mrs Azeliba Theresa, applauded Presbyterian agriculture station for its continuous support to women in the rural communities to go into agriculture production.
Mrs Azeliba cited for example that after her husband had passed away, she was finding it difficult to make a living, but was supported by Presbyterian Agriculture Station at Garu to go into farming.
She appealed to the government and other benevolent individuals to support the rural women, and indicated that in the era of COVID-19, life was very unbearable for the rural women.
The Manager of the Presbyterian Agricultural Station at Garu, Mr Obed Asunka, said the station had supported over 400 rural farmers in their operation area to go into soya beans, maize and other crops cultivation.
He mentioned that over 20,000 women from Garu, Tempane, Pusiga, Binduri, Bawku and Nakpanduri benefited from the Presbyterian Agriculture Station interventions and Faranaya Company Limited and that plans were far advanced to scale up the intervention to cover more rural women in the area.
He added that his outfit further provided Popcorn machines, rubber plates and a tricycle to the women to improve their standard of living standard.
FROM SAMUEL AKAPULE, GARU
