It followed the continuous investments and seamless introduction of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) into the country’s educational system within the last six years.

These interventions by the government have made it easy for women to penetrate male-dominated jobs such as carpentry, auto mechanical engineering, construction and welding.

Addressing the third edition of the Women in TVET conference in Accra, a Deputy Minister of Education, Gifty Twum Ampofo, explained that TVET-related programmes used to be perceived as professions that entailed physical body involvement and requiring strength hence women were discouraged from venturing into them.

“Involvement of STEM has changed the status quo to provide women the opportunity to take up programmes in TVET such as carpentry, auto mechanical engineering, construction and welding,” she said.

On the theme "DigitAll: Innovation and technology for gender equality," this year’s conference focused on how technology could drive gender equality in technical and vocational education and training.

The conference was organised by the Commission for Technical and Vocational Educational Training (CTVET) in collaboration with the Ministry of Education (MoE), with support from the World University Services (WUSC) through the INVEST Project.

It presented the commission with the opportunity to launch the trade profiles and industry attachment manuals.

Significant role

The Director-General of the CTVET, Dr Fred Kyei Asamoah, said technical and vocational education had a significant role to play in providing the skills and competencies required to support innovation and productivity.

He said the Commission for TVET had been empowered to regulate, promote and administer TVET for transformation and innovation for sustainable development in the country.

He said the commission and its partners sought to advance or showcase the competencies of women when they took opportunities offered through TVET.

“Women perform exceptionally well when they take up opportunities in TVET, especially in areas dominated by men,” he added.

Canada’s contribution

The Deputy Director of Operations at the High Commission of Canada to Ghana, Louise Paris, said Canada had been contributing to improve TVET in Ghana since Ghana’s independence.

That, she said, had evolved to women economic empowerment and skills training, as well as complementary business skills for young women with entrepreneurial spirit.

She said gender equality and empowerment of young women were central to Canada’s international assistance efforts around the world.

“Since the adoption of our feminist international assistance policy in 2017, gender equality and women empowerment have been long standing goals for Canada,” she said.