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As the world celebrated Mother’s Day last Sunday, the National President of the Local Government Service Association of Physical Planners (LoGSAPP), Gifty Nyarko, has expressed concern over what she described as the “silent suffering” of many women and mothers, mainly in rural communities.
“On this Mother’s Day, let us move beyond celebration and commit ourselves to meaningful action that improves the lives of women and mothers everywhere,” she stated.
Ms Nyarko, who is also the African Ambassador for Inclusive Urban Governance and Climate-Resilient Development, made the remarks in a Mother’s Day press statement copied to the Daily Graphic.
She said many women were battling life-threatening domestic violence, frequent water shortages and worsening climate conditions, despite playing critical roles in sustaining families, communities and local economies.
According to her, some mothers continued to suffer silently from emotional abuse, intimidation, poor living conditions and the daily struggle to secure water for household survival.
She said that although mothers remained the backbone of families and national development, many continued to live under harsh social and environmental conditions, with little protection and support.
Ms Nyarko explained that women across many communities were burdened daily by emotional abuse, intimidation, unsafe living conditions, flooding, poor sanitation and the struggle to secure water for household survival.
“Many women continue to suffer in silence from domestic violence, emotional abuse and social exclusion within homes and communities,” she stated, adding that protecting women and children must become a collective national responsibility.
While the statement celebrated women, it also called for urgent and coordinated action to protect women and address the growing challenges confronting them, particularly in rural and peri-urban areas.
Ms Nyarko said the worsening effects of climate change, environmental degradation and poor urban planning were placing enormous pressure on women and vulnerable households.
She explained that many mothers were forced to walk long distances daily in search of water for cooking, farming, sanitation and other domestic activities.
Ms Nyarko cited global figures indicating that women and girls spend approximately 200 million hours every day fetching water worldwide.
She further warned that floods, droughts and heatwaves were becoming more frequent and severe, with women among the hardest hit.
Ms Nyarko said female farmers, despite forming a significant part of the agricultural labour force, continued to face challenges such as inadequate irrigation systems, poor access to land ownership, financing difficulties and limited climate adaptation support.
She underscored the urgent need for investments in climate resilience, women’s economic empowerment, safe housing, sanitation, mental health services and gender protection systems.
She also called on governments, local authorities and development partners to adopt gender-responsive planning policies that prioritised women’s safety, dignity and participation in governance.
Ms Nyarko urged authorities to protect rivers, wetlands and forests, improve access to clean water and strengthen measures against domestic violence and abuse.
She maintained that sustainable and resilient African cities could not be achieved without empowering the women who sustain homes, food systems and local economies.
