EFFORTS AT ACHIEVING GENDER PARITY RATIO...Legon enrols more females (PAGE 11, AUGUST 13, 2010)

THE University of Ghana, Legon is enrolling more female students to enable the University to achieve its gender parity policy of 50—50 ratio.
Currently the student population of the University is 35,000 with males constituting 57 per cent while females make up 43 per cent.
Professor Kwesi Yankah, Pro Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana who was speaking at the orientation course for 80 professionals admitted by the University for the Economic Policy Management (EPM) programme, said the ratio of the girl-child and that of the boy in the University showed a marked improvement from the mid 1990s when the University was dominated by male students.
He explained that at the undergraduate level, female enrolment had risen from 28 per cent in the mid 1990s to 43 per cent in 2009/2010 academic year.
Prof. Yankah also said that female enrolment in graduate schools which was 30 per cent last year hit 35 per cent this year through the enrolment of the EPM programme.
The Pro- Vice Chancellor of the University, therefore, gave the assurance that the University would continue to pursue its gender policy of aiming at a 50-50 ratio.’’
He said the EPM programme had assisted professionals from the sub region to bring their practical experience from the workplace to link the theory of the University to produce all round knowledge for the socio-economic development of the country.
He said the programme was unique which equipped practitioners to draw on a wider pool of policy experience and best practices both within and outside their own regions to develop a sustainable policy framework and implement plans for economic management.
The Pro-Vice Chancellor said unlike the standard master’s programme in Economics, the EPM was designed exclusively for practitioners in governmemt, ministries, departments, agencies, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and the private sector.
He commended the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) and the joint Japan World Bank Graduate Fellowship Programme for sponsoring the 12-month master’s programme in EPM.
He said the admission of practitioners from Sierra-Leone, Nigeria , Liberia and Gambia would amount to strengthening the already existing bonds of friendship not only at the national level, but also at the University level.
Prof. Yankah said over the years, the University had stretched its arms to help rebuild human resources of neighbouring countries, especially when war and other catastrophes had shattered economies and human resource bases.