The Centre for Gender Research, Advocacy and Documentation (CEGRAD) in collaboration with the School of Graduate Studies, UCC and the University of Birmingham (UK) has organised a gender-related research capacity strengthening workshop and a public lecture on ‘Gender Issues and Feminists Research Methodology’ for graduate students and lecturers.     

Gender Revolves around all Disciplines

In her address, the Director, CEGRAD, Dr. (Mrs.) Georgina Yaa Oduro, stated that “Gender is not situated within a single discipline, however, it has a cross, multi, inter and intra-disciplinary subject areas that cut across various disciplines”. She indicated that the workshop was informed by the findings from the UCC Vice-Chancellors Annual Report from different years which pointed out that a number of faculty and students engagement in gender and feminist research.  “Others who do not directly study the issues of gender employ the feminist research methodologies in their research works” she added. The Director averred that there was the recognition of a shift in postgraduate research from predominantly quantitative to a qualitative and triangulation of methodologies. 

In view of the aforementioned reasons, Dr. Yaa Oduro explained that CEGRAD thought of the need to organise the workshop to equip students and lecturers who were interested in such research areas. She further mentioned that the aim of the workshop was to ‘strengthen participants’ capacity on gender issues and feminists research methodology. 

Gender at the Core of Humanity

The Dean, School of Graduate Studies, Prof. Ernest Okorley, noted that gender was at the core of humanity; therefore, there was the need to properly disseminate information about it. He explained that would help to educate the general public, and stakeholders to consider and factor both females, males in terms of policymaking.

Promoting Gender-Related Issues

The Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences, Prof. Akwasi Kumi-Kyereme commended the Centre for its foresight and innovative ideas in their quest to make people understand the nitty-gritty of gender-related issues. The Dean assured the Centre of the support of Faculty in order to realise its objectives.

 Maintenance of Children and  Status of Women in Marriage

As part of the three-day event, a Senior Lecturer in History of Africa and its Diasporas, University of Birmingham, Dr. Kate Skinner, delivered a lecture on the topic: “Contesting Child Maintenance in Ghana: Some Historical and Contemporary Perspectives.”  Dr. Skinner spoke on the connections between the maintenance of children and the status of women in marriage in Ghana. Dr. Skinner explained that lessons in contemporary times had pointed out that failure to ensure child maintenance could have negative consequences on children in society. “Though there are genuine issues of low-income and difficulty on the part of fathers in maintaining children, it can be seen historically and in contemporary times as part of some resistance to hold those obligations and into law”.       

Target

The programme targeted female and male PhD and M.Phil students undertaking research on gender-related issues who were adopting feminists’ research methodologies in their research works. Participants included postgraduate students and lecturers from UCC, University of Education, Winneba (UEW) and Cape Coast Technical University (CCTU).