Nine-member ITECPD-UEW Gender Equality and Social Inclusion Committee Inaugurated
The Institute for Teacher Education and Continuing Professional Development (ITECPD), University of Education, Winneba (UEW), has organised a two-day workshop for Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) Committee members and gender experts from the College of Education.
The two-day workshop, which took place from Monday, 20th to Tuesday, 21st December, 2021, at the Gloriaka Hotel, Winneba, witnessed the inauguration of a team of the UEW GESI Committee.
The nine-member Committee, drawn from ITECPD, Gender Mainstreaming Directorate, Departments of Basic Education, Early Childhood Education, Special Education, Theatre Arts and the Institute for Educational Research and Innovation Studies (IERIS), comprised Dr. (MRS.) Emma Sarah Eshun, Dr. Isaac Brako, Dr. Adams Awuni, Dr. Latipher Osei, Ms. Eva Annan, Mr. Kweku Esia-Donkoh, Rev. Samuel Affran, Ms. Rhoda Mahama and Mrs. Evelyn Aba Sampson.
The Committee would act as a monitoring, evaluation, and capacity-building team, reporting regularly to ITECPD on the status of the GESI strategy implementation. The Committee would also work to ensure that the six cardinal areas of the GESI Strategic Framework are thoroughly implemented in the Colleges of Education to achieve the GESI Strategy's intended result.
The Director of ITECPD, Prof. Dandy George Dampson, in welcoming participants, expressed the belief that the inauguration is not going to be a nine-day wonder but truly bear fruits beyond the shores of the University and colleges.
“The GESI Strategy and Action Plan for Teacher Education (2020-2025) outlines Ghana’s priorities for action emanating from the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) following the national Gender and Inclusion Summit which was held in May, 2019. The overall purpose of the National GESI Strategy and Action Plan for Teacher Education is to ensure that by the year 2025, Ghana would have a responsive teacher education system that genuinely promotes equality and inclusion,” he remarked.
The Director of IERIS, Prof. Samuel Hayford, who represented the Ag. Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Andy Ofori-Birikotrang, inaugurated the Committee on his behalf and admonished members not to propagate the ill-agenda of equity people are pushing. “When we’re talking about gender equality, for heaven’s sake, do not go and bring in equity! Equity stands for something different and it isn’t part of the gender agenda. Equity comes in when you’re talking about disability.”
Prof. Hayford commended the Transforming Teaching, Education and Learning (T-TEL) team for working tirelessly to promote the GESI objective of the government of Ghana.
Dr. (Mrs.) Sarah Eshun, ITECPD-UEW GESI Coordinator, pledged on behalf of the Committee members to work tirelessly to ensure that the six objectives of the GESI Action Plan are met.
The workshop provided participants with the opportunity to be acquainted with the National GESI Strategic Framework as well as the GESI implementation process in Colleges of Education. Focal persons from Gender Champions and Safe Space presented on the status of GESI Action Plan implementation in their colleges, challenges encountered, and the way forward.
