Wednesday, March 12, 2008

C.J. urges women to aspire for higher levels

C.J. urges women to aspire for higher levels

The Ghanaian Times, Wednesday, March 12, 2008. Page 16 (News)

David Adadevoh


The Chief Justice, Mrs. Georgina Theodora Wood, has urged women to build their capacity and aspire for higher levels in their careers.


“We need to make good use of numerous training opportunities available to us in order to stand tall in whatever positions that we find ourselves,” she said, at a forum organised by the Standard Chartered Bank in Accra last week as part of activities to mark the International Women’s Day to interact with staff and clients on addressing gender issues in the corporate world.


The forum was on the theme, “Women in Leadership in Ghana” and was organised under the bank’s Gender Diversity Agenda. The Chief Justice (CJ) shared her experience as a female leader in a predominant male profession and the impact of female leadership in transforming organisations, with her audience.


She attributed her success in being the first female Chief Justice [in Ghana] to her faith in God and passion for hard work without looking for any reward. “It has always been my motto to work for God and my country.”


Mrs. Wood said although she had the ambition to rise to the highest level in the judiciary, her appointment as CJ came as a surprise because it was during the nomination process that she realised that had hard work had been noted by her colleagues, who highly recommended her. She stated that her experience has shown that women were more capable of taking up managerial roles and all they need is equal opportunities and encouragement from their male counterparts.


On gender issues in the judiciary, CJ Wood said the institution had been fair in female appointments and that her appointment attests to that. She said there were plans to fast track cases that affected women and children. In addition, the establishment of family tribunals will empower women, especially those in the rural areas, to demand their fundamental human rights. The CJ challenged women to work hard, upgrade their skills and live within the confines of biblical principles to succeed in life.


She commended Stanchart for providing an avenue through its Gender Diversity and Agenda saying, “I believe the agenda that organisations like yours are driving will help make a sustainable difference in the lives of our female workforce.”


Nana Araba Abban, Chairperson, Diversity and Inclusion Council of the bank, said the International Women’s Day reminded it management to create an inclusive environment for women to maximise their potential. “At Stanchart, we focus on nationality, ethnicity, disability and gender. We strive to identify the barriers in each of these and work towards being the company that breaks them. Our celebration of this day demonstrates our commitment,” she added.


This news report was heavily edited by the blog administrator.

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