Women cry for more representation in parliament

The Women Commissioners at the various tertiary institutions in the country have called on the political parties to bring more women on board if they want to win the upcoming elections.

They made this known at a seminar organized by the Women Commissioners of the National Union of Ghana students (NUGS) and that of the Ghana National Union of Polytechnics Students (GNUPS), in collaboration with the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs, on the theme “Women empowerment; the role of the Ghanaian Women in leadership”.

Dignitaries like Nana Oye Lithur, Mrs. Magdalene Kanae, Hajia Alima Mahama, the Minister of Women and Children Affairs, and over 60 women Commissioners in the country attended the program.

The GNUPS commissioner, Miss Adiza, in her address said, “This year is our year, as we are set to advocate for more women in governance”. She noted that political parties who have more women vying in the various constituencies have better chances in the elections.

Mrs. Magdalene Kannae of the Institute of Local Government Studies, on her part said women play important roles in the development of our communities and the country. She cited her ladyship, Georgina Wood, Patricia Appiagyei of the Kumasi Metropolitan assembly and Hajia Alima Mahama among others.

She urged women to engage in politics, saying “the Presidential slot is not beyond the women in Ghana”. She commended the current government for pushing more women into influential positions and also helping to increase the statistic of women in politics.

Mrs. Kannae encouraged women to unite and to fight against discrimination. She further encouraged Institutions to embrace women into their fold. “The position of Vice Chancellor is yet to be occupied by women in our tertiary institutions” she said.

The Minister of Women and Children Affairs, Hajia Alima Mahama in her speech advised young women to choose husbands who fit into their career. She was happy that the Ministry's budget, which stood at 0.08% would be increased in 2009 for it to be more gender responsive. She told the gathering that the Ministry had received an amount of 42 million pounds from the British government to help in fighting for the rights of women and children in the country. She said, The Ministry pressurized the government to appoint Women into the District Assemblies and the government is making significant efforts towards this.

The Minister, who has successfully presented and defended Ghana's records on women advancement in the United Nations, and provided leadership through the passage of the Domestic Violence Bill, Human Trafficking Act as well as ratification of Conventions of both the AU and UN. She is also the brain behind the building of the Gambaga Girls Senior High School through funds she mobilized from her constituency to promote the Girl child education in the country.

“Though, as the first African country to attain independence, Ghana's politics still lacks women,” she added and entreated women in the country to vote for their fellow women contestants in the various constituencies.

Nana Oye Lithur, a gender activist and lawyer also encouraged women to nurture their constituencies now, if they want to contest and win elections tomorrow. “The political representation of women is low,” she added. She alos stressed on the fact that if women were given the nod, they would and can manage the country better. Lithur made allusion to Yaa Asantewaa of Ghana and advised females to emulate some of these women who made positive impacts on their nations.