Cape Coast – Hajia Samira Bawumia, the wife of Ghana's Vice President, has called upon Muslim women to break free from deep-rooted religious and cultural barriers that hinder their progress towards greater personal and economic success.
Speaking at the 26th Annual Conference of the Federation of Muslim Women Association—Ghana (FOMWAG), she emphasized that Islamic history reflects a heritage of economic empowerment for Muslim women.
Highlighting the Quran's teachings, she noted that Muslim women have a diverse legacy of economic prowess, including roles as successful businesswomen, entrepreneurs, traders, farmers, artisans, and philanthropists, dating back to the time of Prophet Mohammed.
Islam, she added, does not curtail women's economic empowerment but instead grants them rights and opportunities to own property and inherit wealth.
Moreover, Islam encourages men to provide financial and moral support to women in their endeavours, promoting education, skills development, and ethical conduct as essential elements for economic empowerment.
The conference, held under the theme “Towards Economic Empowerment of Muslim Women for a Sustainable Community,” aimed to reinforce Islamic principles that promote the well-being and financial independence of women.
FOMWAG operates across 16 regions and 80 districts in Ghana, seeking to empower Muslim women to follow the teachings of Islam through the Quran and the Hadith (Sunnah).
Despite these Islamic teachings, many Muslim women face challenges such as poverty, illiteracy, limited access to finance, technology, training, and mentorship, as well as discrimination, harassment, violence, and restrictive ethnic norms.
These challenges not only impact the well-being and dignity of women but also hinder the development of their families, communities, and the nation as a whole.
To overcome these obstacles and empower women economically, Hajia Samira Bawumia emphasized the importance of collective efforts, collaboration, and advocacy. She called for mobilizing resources, capacities, networks, and voices to support policies and programs that promote women's economic rights and opportunities.
Collaboration with government agencies, civil society organizations, private sector actors, religious leaders, and the media is crucial to raising awareness and educating the public on the significance of women's economic empowerment.
In conclusion, she encouraged Muslim women to equip themselves with knowledge, skills, and confidence to pursue their dreams and aspirations, while also fostering support, guidance, mentorship, and solidarity among women to overcome challenges and celebrate achievements.
The conference received praise from various quarters, including Ghanaian Member of Parliament Mr. Samuel Atta Mills, the Municipal Chief Executive Mr. Ebo Appiah, traditional authorities, and the Christian Mothers Association.
They commended FOMWAG for its efforts in empowering women and emphasized the importance of tolerance, respect for human rights, freedom of religion, adherence to the rule of law, and kindness in promoting peaceful coexistence in the 21st century.
By EIsaac Arkoh; Editing by Dennis Gyamfi