Mrs Theresah Adjei-Boafo, the Founder and Director, WAES, said women formed the chunk of the population, saying their active involvement would greatly help the nation to win the fight against the menace.

She gave the advice in an interview with the Ghana News Agency on the side-lines of a community sensitization forum on women and girls inclusion in decision making process held at Baakoniaba in the Sunyani Municipality.

The WAES in collaboration with WIDA, another NGO, organised the day's forum in line with a project they are implementing in the Municipality.

The forum was attended by women engaged in petty trading, hairdressing, dressmaking making as well as shop keepers and food vendors.

With funding from the Global Greengrant Fund (GGF) the implementation of the four-month project, titled: "Empowering Women for Sustainable Development through Inclusion", seeks to inspire women to participate in the decision making process in the home and society.

Mrs Adjei-Boafo expressed regret that women had been relegated to the backgrounds for decades, saying it was time women bar odds, remain resolute, prepare and engage themselves actively in politics and contribute to national discourses in tackling the ills of society.

With President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo assenting to the Affirmative Action (Gender Equity) Act 2024, she said more was required from women from all sectors in shaping the nation's socio-economic and discourses.

Mrs Adjei-Boafo noted that the devastating impact of illegal mining on the environment, pollution of water bodies, and destruction of the vegetative cover, as well as misapplication of agro-chemicals remained enormous on the lives of the people.

She said women and girls mostly bore the brunt of those societal ills, hence the need to empower women to rise up and help stem the illegal mining activities in the country.

"That informed our decision to inspire and empower indigenous women to contribute to the decision making process at all levels," Mrs Adjei-Boafo stated.

Earlier, Mr John Tsagli, the Bono Regional Administrator of the Commission on
Human Rights Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) advised women traders to adopt the habit of savings to enable them to sustain and expand their businesses. He said women ought to support their spouses in meeting the financial needs and other demands of the family.

Mr Tsagli said if women were well empowered economically that would enable them to support the family, and thereby help stem domestic violence, abuses and other violations of human rights in the family setup.