TEACH MALE CHILDREN HOME-MAKING SKILL

Story: Augustina Tawiah
THE Director of the Women's Division of the Methodist Church, Ghana, Madam Angelina Wood, has noted that male children should also be taught child care and home-making skills.
"The practice whereby girls alone do house work and help in child care should be discouraged. Such chores should be regarded as a shared responsibility within the family," she emphasised.
Mutual respect, she added, should be seen as being crucial to good family life and, therefore, boys should also be taught to respect women.
Madam Wood said this when she delivered a talk on the third Millennium Development Goal (MDG) — promote gender equality and empower women — to members of the Women's Fellowship of the Good Shepherd Methodist Church, North Kaneshie.
The talk formed part of activities to mark Women's Work Sunday which is observed by Methodists all over the world.
She called on the church and society to recognise God's gift of leadership in women and encourage them to be in leadership at all church and society levels.
"Those already in leadership positions should be supported with our prayers," she added.
She noted with concern the incidence of domestic violence in our communities and asked women to provide emotional and material support for the victims.
Madam Wood said it was time for women to know their rights and those of children.
She reminded the women of the other MDGs that had been selected for discussion and urged them to organise seminars to discuss them and take appropriate steps, where necessary, to bring them to fruition.
The other goals are the eradication of extreme poverty, achievement of universal primary education, reduction of child mortality, improvement of maternal health and combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases.
The week-long celebration was rounded off with a divine service at the church, during which funds were raised to support women's projects in the diocese.
One such project is the Hope for Teens Skill Training Programme situated on the premises of the Rev Thomas Clegg Memorial Methodist Church, Kaneshie.