Push for increased women's representation suffers setback

Tamale, Oct 4, GNA - The push for increased women's representation at the District Assembly Level (DAL) has suffered another setback.

This was because more women could not make good showing in the just organised September 1, DAL and Unit Committee Elections held across the country.

In the Northern Region only 18 out of the 705 elected assembly members were women, while seven out of 376 elected members in Upper East Region (UER) were women and nine also made it in the Upper West Region (UWR) where 293 people were elected.

The situation is even worrying in view of the fact that in some district assemblies in the three regions, no woman candidate was elected with the Northern Region leading the pack with no elected woman in 16 out of the total 26 districts followed by UER with no elected woman in six out of the 13 districts and five out of the 11 districts in the UWR.

Mr Alhassan Mohammed Awal, Coordinator of the Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) Platform on Good Governance described the situation as worrying as a significant chunk of the country's population would be left out in decision making level at the district assemblies.

Mr Awal, therefore, called on the government to toe the line of women's empowerment by fully implementing its pledge to amend the Local Government Act of 1993, Act 462, to reserve 40 per cent of the President's appointees to the metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs) to women.

He said this is also in line with the government's 2012 manifesto which read: 'The next National Democratic Congress government will continue to make progress on this commitment with the ultimate goal of attaining 40 per cent women's representation in all public appointments and at the party's conferences and congresses.'

He demanded that 'The President through Regional Coordinating Councils appoint 40 per cent of the 30 per cent government appointees to MMDAs as women'.

He also called for clear strategies and timelines on how the government would ensure the amendment of the Local Government Act of 1993, Act 462 to reserve of the President's appointees to MMDAs to women.

Dr Calistus Mahama, Head of Local Government Service said in line with government policy, a sizeable number of women would be appointed to the district assemblies.

GNA