The Member of Parliament for Dome-Kwabenya, Sarah Adwoa Safo, has called for the recognition of women in Ghana’s National Pledge.

She explained that the inclusion of the clause, "through the toils of our fathers" in the National Pledge without mentioning mothers underpinned the role women played in Ghana’s independence struggle and was gender insensitive.

"Mr Speaker, the National Pledge talks about 'through the blood and toil of our fathers’ and omits mothers, but the mothers also toiled for this country, and it is gender insensitive.

"Even when we are referring to the country, we call it our motherland, but when it comes to the National Pledge, and we are referring to the struggles and toils, we omit our mothers, and I want to draw your attention to it so we look at it as a country so that we become more gender-sensitive when it comes to our National Pledge," she said on the floor of Parliament.

Ms Safo made the call following the House's implementation of its new Standing Orders requiring Members of Parliament to recite the National Pledge before proceedings.

Order 69 of the new Standing Orders of Parliament enjoins Members of the House to recite the National Pledge at the first sitting of every week of a Meeting.

The new Standing Orders also required heads of state of institutions to directly be on the Floor of the House to answer questions related to their agencies.

She therefore urged Parliament and the relevant stakeholders to critically assess and make the necessary amendments if needed.