Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Emelia Arthur
The Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Emelia Arthur, has said that she never wishes to be a man due to the heavy responsibilities society places on them.
She believes that while these responsibilities can often be challenging, men find ways to navigate and fulfill them. This, she said, is why she would never have wished to be a man.
Speaking on the floor of Parliament to commemorate the 2025 International Women’s Day celebration, she stated “I stand here also supporting the message that our leader, Honourable Comfort Doyoe, just gave on this day as we mark women across the world. As the theme goes, we are talking about equity when it comes to issues relating to both men and women.
“I am happy that I was made a woman. I do not ever wish that I were a man because of the responsibilities that our society places on men — that are sometimes very difficult for them to bear, yet they stoically go along with those responsibilities.”
Highlighting the contributions of Ghanaian women, Arthur stated that women in Ghana are the backbone of the country’s economy, society, and various other sectors.
She noted that the majority of food crops in Ghana are cultivated by women, enabling them to play a vital role in serving the nation effectively.
“Mr. Speaker, women hold the world together. Women in Ghana hold our economies together. Women in Ghana hold our societies together. When you take agriculture, 80% of food crop farmers are women. They make us eat, they make us move, and they make us able to serve our country,” she said.
The minister continued: “Mr. Speaker, when it comes to the sector that I work in—the fisheries sector—most of the people who make it possible for us to eat fish are women; the fish processors. On this occasion, I dedicate my heart to all the women of this country: to my forbears, the women who fought ahead of us; to my colleagues who are still in the jungles fighting; and to the young ones who are looking up to us.”
Watch the minister’s comments on GhanaWeb TV below:
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