She said it was not fashionable and easy to be a young mother, and that child marriage must not be encouraged. Ms Djaba gave the advice in an address when the Ministry organised a feast for porters in Accra as part of the celebrations of the Mother’s Day. It was dubbed: “2017 - Kayaye Mother’s Day Feast.”

The theme for the celebrations of the Mother’s Day was; “Stay Healthy, Live Long.”

Ms Djaba said the Ministry was undertaking a number of policy initiatives such as linking women to the Micro Finance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC).She said 50 per cent of the MASLOC funds had been set aside for strategic interventions to ensure gender equality and women empowerment, to enhance the creation of decent jobs and prosperity.

She asked women and mothers to take advantage of the initiatives like the free senior high school, planting for food and jobs, one district one factory, and one village one dam, to improve themselves.The Minister entreated mothers to seek regular healthcare and adopt healthy life style for their children, family as well as themselves, adding that; “let all mothers therefore adopt healthy lifestyle for long life, because they were wonderful assets of the nation.

Ms Djaba advised busy mothers to make quality time for their children, irrespective of the fact that society pushed most people into multi tasks; ‘as a worker, a nurse, a teacher, lawyer and home makers and to defy all odds to make ends meet.’