WiLDAF Ghana helps promote women in politics

The world is always talking   about women,   some say they serve the as the basis of development, some say the future of the world belongs to them, and others also say the world can never survive without women. In as much as these sayings are true, it depends on the attitude of the leaders of the world and the people in the societies

A long time ago, it was all about men, every decision of the world evolved around men, since it was made by them, not giving much priority to the wellbeing of women. The role of women in society was considered not very relevant to the progress of the world, so why the sudden change?

Long ago women were not even allowed to vote, but thankfully, today, they are allowed to vote and even go to the extent of standing for presidency. In the United States of America the story was no different, and in Ghana the government of is gradually beginning to give women a place in parliament and in ministerial positions, and women are now allowed to stand for any political position.

Women are now, in a way, encouraged to be part of the political activities of the country, through the various members of the existing political parties and Non Governmental Organisations. Women in Law and Development in Africa (WiLDAF) and other non-governmental organisations (NGOs), which are partners in the 'We Know Politics' project, have gone a long way in encouraging and boosting the moral of women who have an interest in politics in the country.

WILDAF's Activities for women
There are 230 constituencies currently represented in the Parliament of Ghana, as at the December 2004 parliamentary election. Each constituency is represented by a single Member of Parliament (MP). The number of seats was increased from 200 to 230 after the December 2000 elections, and as of now, there has been a proposal by the Electoral Commissioner for an additional 20 to the existing 230, making 250 in total. With the number about to increase to 250, it is expected that women take up about 40% of the seats, in both parliament and the constituencies as promised by the government. This is aimed at further boosting Ghana's efforts at achieving the MDG 3 target of at least a 30% representation of women in politics and governance.

So far, since the year 2010, there has been an increase in the number of government appointee, however, with in terms of voting women into power, there seems not to be any improvement in some of the constituencies, despite enormous educational campaigns.

However, with the activities and education of WiLDAF, women are able to stand firm to contest, despite the odds. Recently, women standing for the primaries in Asikuma Odoben Brakwa, Mamae Pokua Sawyer of Agona East and Sabina Appiah Kubi of Assin South all won in the primaries. The victory makes it evident that women, through education, are gradually being accepted into the political domain.

WiLDAF Ghana, during the past years, has also organised programmes aimed at encouraging women in politics, especially in 2008 when it organised a programme for women political aspirants. The programme was aimed at enlightening women about what politic entails, and helping them get acquainted with the political hardship, and what they need to move along when the occasion calls for it. It was an interactive session with women parliamentarians and aspirants.

Present at the programme was Beatrice Boateng, Member of Parliament (MP) for New Juabeng South, who made them aware that being a politician was not a difficult task at all, and Gifty Ohene Konadu, MP Asante Akim South, who explained that local government is the main stream of decision making, even before reaching the government.

At this programme was Fulera Gariba, the youngest aspirant standing for the elections at the district assembly level at the Komenda in the Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abirem District. She is 21 years old, and has lived in her community for almost 18 years.

To her, she had no intention of getting involved in the district assembly elections, but the community in which she lives encouraged her, and made her aware that she fit the position. She is a Secretary of a coalition of women in WiLDAF, a member of the Muslim Girls Association, which is meant to promote girl child education among the Muslim community, and she said, apart from the support she gets from her parents and the community, she also has the support and encouragement of the mosque committee, and that she was emphatic that she could win the election in her district.

Political parties and women
Most of the political parties, seeing how useful women are in society and in government, have made it a point to make women prominent in all their activities.  The National Democratic Congress (NDC), as part of its projects in helping women, made efforts to get more women into the political decision making structures. In 1998, the party, in the second term of its first administration, introduced the affirmative action policy guideline to include a minimum of 40% women in all governmental and public decision making structures.

This guideline has been reaffirmed by the current President to ensure there is 40% representation of women in all structures of government, even at the party level. The party has also come out with a 50% reduction in filing fees for women contesting the parliamentary primaries currently taking place in orphan constituencies. The objective of this decision is to ensure more women contest the party's primaries.

The Convention People's Party (CPP) as well, took an Affirmative Action by reducing by 50% the filing fees for women in comparism to men. The objective of this is to ensure more women contest the executive positions of the party, and ultimately, make it into the next highest offices of the party.

The Akosombo declaration of gender equity by political parties is one of the key commitments of the various political parties in bringing women into power.

This commitment was made in a communiqué agreed upon between the Institute of Economic Affairs and four political parties with representation in Parliament on June 30, 2009 at Akosombo in the Eastern Region. It contains the parties' commitment to ensuring at least 30% representation of women in their executive structures.

Conclusion
Encouraging women to engage themselves in politics and other developmental activities will not only bring development to a nation, but also make them a stronghold in the country. By so doing, they would be able to express themselves freely when it comes to decision making of the nation. Women, being considered the basis of every development, can indeed, prove themselves so the the people continue to give them a chance in politics.