Lawyer Joyce Bawah Mogtari has advised young women to work on building their capacities as part of efforts to bridge the gender gap in our society.

The former Deputy Minister for Transport in a presentation at the 4th Obaasima Summit held at the University of Ghana said men are dominating most spheres of the economy because many women prefer to be in their comfort zones.

She argued that a deliberate move by especially young women to improve themselves and build their capacity will go a long way to increase their contribution to the development of their communities and society generally.

"I also have no doubt that the challenge has been that sometimes, we have not been forthcoming to step into the doors that have been open for us, largely because of misogyny, also sometimes because women probably are not as bold as our menfolk," she said.

Mrs Mogtari, who is a Special Aide to former Ghana President John Dramani Mahama, noted further that the phenomenon of teenage pregnancies is another canker militating against the progress of women.

“One of the main things that have always saddened me, is our issues with teenage pregnancy. I think in the course of the pandemic, this has actually become an epidemic. Large numbers of girls such as you will never make it to places such as this. They will never walk the halls of these universities because they have had to cut their education short because of early pregnancy," she averred.

"It will call for an intense education of young women, as well as reaching out to women leaders to ask how they have done it."

According to Mrs. Mogtari, “we must build capacity, which is why talking about this theme is particularly insightful. We must build on good attitudes. We also need to persevere just as the men do, we should create women who are empowered in various working places, we should also try to be adaptable because that’s another challenge for women”.

She urged the participants to avoid asking people for counsel that will not inure to their development but those that will strengthen and position them for leadership roles in society.