Monthly newspaper for African women
launched
Accra (Greater Accra)
12 March 2003- A web-based monthly newspaper, "Africa Woman" being
run by Women Journalists from the West, East and Southern Africa was launched
on Monday with a call on women in Africa to take their destinies into their
hands to make an impact on the continent.
Ms Christine
Churcher, Minister of State for Basic, Secondary and Girl-Child Education, said
women had contributed immensely to the gains made by African countries in
several fields of endeavour.
"However, quite
often, these gains go unnoticed or unreported," she said at a short
ceremony in Accra organised by the British Council to launch a special edition
of the newspaper to mark this year's International Day of Women and
Commonwealth Day celebrations.
Women Journalists
from Ghana, Kenya, Zimbabwe and Uganda run "The African Women" with
funds provided by the Department for International Development of the United
Kingdom through the British Council.
The publication is
part of the "Virtual Newsroom" Project, which started two years ago
to train women in the media to tell the story of Africa from their own
perspective. Ms Churcher said the establishment of the Ministry for Women's
Affairs, the appointment of a Minister for Girl-Child Education and the
government's policy of ensuring that women were represented on the boards of
all state organisations were indications of the recognition of women's role in
nation building.
She said the
introduction of the newspaper on the scene was timely since it would provide
women in Africa with a voice to tell "our own stories". "Women
experience many adjustments at different stages in their lives. For example, as
a woman moves up the social ladder, she may become lonely.
"Invariably,
many women who have successful careers have conflicting married lives; either
they are divorced, separated, single parents or have unstable marriages. For
these women their careers seem to be a substitute for their unsuccessful
marriages," the Minister said.
She, therefore,
called for more understanding as women took their place in politics or public
life since they had meaningful contributions to make. Terence Humphrey,
Director of the British Council in Ghana, said the Virtual Newsroom Project, which
linked female journalists from across Africa and the western media, was in line
with the theme for this year's Commonwealth Day celebrations, which focused on
partners in development.
Mrs Charity Binka,
the Ghana Co-ordinator of the Project, said the newspaper did not only publish
stories about women but also focused on many key issues which affected Africa,
such as the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), corruption and
brain drain.
GRi.../
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