Nana Konadu: Blame NPP for rise in teenage pregnancy

Former First Lady, President and Founder of the 31 December Women’s Movement, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings says the erstwhile New Patriotic Party administration must be blamed for the high rate of teenage pregnancy cases in the country.

Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings accused the Kufour-led administration of cancelling sex education in the curricular of Basic and Junior High Schools which according to her was initiated by the previous NDC government.

Nana Konadu said the initiative of inculcating sex education in the curricular was to reduce teenage pregnancy but the NPP crossed-out subjects like Religious and Moral Education, which she says has caused the rise in teenage pregnancy cases being recorded in the country.

Speaking to Adakabre Frimpong Manso on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem on Tuesday, Mrs. Rawlings called on the Atta Mills government to as a matter of urgency re-introduce sex education in the syllabus to reduce immoral activities among the youth.

Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings' accusations come as women across the world celebrate the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day Tuesday, March 8.

She stated that “As we mark another year of International Women’s Day, the battle that moved women from lack of education, finance, health, and without any rights as human beings, to a position of enormous strides in the same areas should be maintained.

"Progress has been made since the struggle of women’s rights, emancipation and empowerment began a century ago. Many more women have education up to the tertiary level than ever in the history of women’s struggle, but it is still not enough since the levels of successes are minimal."

Nana Konadu explained that studies have shown that without women’s active involvement in national development programmes – from start to finish –we will not see any great improvement in our countries’ growth since there is a direct relationship and link between the empowerment of women and the development of a country, and indeed the world.

She encouraged women to take active part in politics, regardless of persuasion, where women are nominated in local government authorities, as chief executives, in parliament and even appointed as ministers and deputy ministers of state.

“The struggle is not over. Let us today, reflect on the 100 years: our achievements, our difficulties and our woes," she said.