The First Lady, Mrs Ernestina Naadu Mills, at the weekend, said the empowerment of women should go beyond slogans and advertisement, to daily participation in divine appraisal for women, to enjoy natural and national benefits. She decried the subjugation of women to mere menial and domestic tasks and said it was very important that the potential of every human was harnessed to the growth and development of communities and the nation. The First Lady gave the reminder, as a special guest of honour at the 36th Annual Conference of the West Volta Presbytery Women Class of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, at Ashaiman, near Tema. The five-day conference, hosted by the Ashaiman Central Evangelical Presbyterian (EP) Church, is on the theme “Newness in Christ, the Ministry of Kindness and the Role of Women”. The conference, which began last Thursday, attracted a large congregation of the Women Bible Class from the Greater Accra, Central, Western and Eastern Regions, and is focusing on the role of women performing acts of kindness, to touch the lives of people, in bringing them to Christ or enriching their faith in Christ. The First Lady observed that, women had often been too marginalized and been made vulnerable against the wish and will of God. She said however that, the creation of woman by God at the beginning was what brought the nation of God into perfection. Mrs Naadu Mills said the government was trying to reposition women within the Better Ghana Agenda, so that they would be entitled to what they deserved in society. Government, the First lady said, was confident on the partnership with women to the national development agenda. Aside the commitment of a chunk of the 2010 Budget to development and the improvement in the lives of the citizens, Government had also put in place measures for affordable health, as it enhanced health infrastructure and facilities, in addition to enhancing the working conditions of health personnel. Government is also working at improving food supply, through better agricultural programmes and the promotion of locally grown food materials. Citing the local and more nutritious Aveyime brown rice, Mrs. Naadu Mills called on Ghanaians to make the consumption of local staples a priority to stem the import of foreign food materials and to encourage Ghanaian farmers to grow more. She said the 50 per cent increase in the Capitation Grant and the distribution of free school uniforms, is to reduce the burden on women, who mostly cared for the children. The First Lady called on the youth to take advantage of Government programmes to improve their lots, reminding them that, their future success or failure in life depended on what they would do with their life today. The Rev Mrs Comfort Adusu Afele, Pastor in Charge of the Lashibi EP Church, preaching the sermon, exhorted women and the Christian brotherhood to be renewed in Christ and be caring for humankind in all spheres of life. She likened the renewal to the removal of the old dry skin of a snake to the new and fresh one, which is undefiled. “That is the kind of newness, caring for human kind in all spheres of life. “We are being sent to do good but before wee can do that, we have to have the fear of God, forgiveness, love and sacrifice,” the Reverend said. She pointed out such sacrifices of the Hebrew women, as those of, the daughter of Pharaoh, Moses’ mother, Rahab and Abigail, all in the Bible, whose actions of faith brought salvation upon themselves and their people. The Rev Mrs Afele stressed that women had a significant role in the salvation of the nation and exhorted the gathering to let themselves be used as instruments of blessing unto others. “We need a birth, a new generation, go out and do good’ she said, and called on women to be role models and better wives and mothers, to reach out to others and build a Better Ghana. She advised women to respect their husbands no matter how learned or huge they are, adding “we would have to have the faith to lead Christ-like lives, because he had already prepared a place for us.” The congregants, mostly women, sang and rejoiced in song ministrations in praise to the Lord. Meanwhile the First lady has presented relief items to some victims of the recent flood at Ashaiman. The item included bags of rice, clothing and a cash of GHc 5000. Source: GNA