Australia Supports Women Rights Group

The Australian Government has supported the Women in Law and Development Africa (WiLDAF Ghana) with 98,135 Australian dollars (approximately GH¢125,844) to assist women in the Ahanta West District of the Western Region to improve on their knowledge of the laws and government organisations which exist to help them. 

WiLDAF Ghana is a non-governmental organisation empowering women to have access to justice through public education, capacity building of paralegals, community reconciliation committees and engagement with state agencies and traditional leaders.

A press statement from the Australian High Commission said over 2,000 people were expected to be reached through radio discussions, posters and community outreach seminars, while 25 community members would be trained as legal literacy volunteers. 

Australia was involved in drafting the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which gives global expression to the basic rights and freedoms to which all human beings are entitled and provides a standard to which all nations can be held to account. It was one of 48 states which, 61 years ago, voted in favour of the declaration.  

“Australia’s commitment to the aims and purposes of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is an underlying principle of its engagement with the international community.

In this spirit, Australia is pleased to support activities to promote human rights in Ghana,” the Australian High Commissioner to Ghana, Mr William Williams stated.  

Australia had previously funded a number of projects in the human rights sector, including supporting the rehabilitation of ex-trokosi in the Volta Region and the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative to protect the rights of arrested persons in Ghana. 

The WiLDAF Ghana project was funded under the Australian Human Rights Small Grants Scheme and was announced by the Australian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Stephen Smith, on December 10, International Human Rights Day.

In total, $3 million Australian dollars will be provided for 34 projects in 37 countries in Africa, the Asia-Pacific and the Middle East and it will be used to promote good governance, gender equality, disability rights, children’s rights and combat human trafficking.