In commemoration of International Women's Day 2010, The Hunger Project (THP)-Ghana organized a National Rural Forum under the theme "Equal Rights, Equal Opportunities: Progress for All," which was held on March 5, 2010 at the Odumase-Wawase Epicenter in Kwahu West Municipality.
The forum gathered program animators, epicenter representatives, program partners, members of the press and THP-Ghana staff to deliberate on their grassroots efforts and identify the emerging evidence of women's and girls' access to equal rights and opportunities.
Participants' discussions revealed some positive gains in their communities, including:
- Women's emerging capacity to participate in sexual decision-making, especially in the use of condoms, even by married couples.
- The emerging opportunities being offered women at the community level to participate in local decision-making bodies, as well as in the Chiefs' Courts.
- The acceptance of parents to assign domestic chores to both their male and female children.
- A small but impressive increasing in the number of girls advancing into Senior High School beyond the previous zero in many communities.
Participants also, however, noted several economic, educational, health, political and socio-cultural challenges, for which they identified areas for urgent action.