Vote massively for women Parliamentary Candidates – Participants

Women in Upper East Region have been urged to vote massively for any of the six women contesting for Parliamentary seats in Election 2008 to give the Region a good representation in the fight for gender mainstreaming.

Participants at a public forum organized by management of Centre for Sustainable Development Initiative (CENSUDI), a Bolgatanga-based NGO seeking the welfare of women said vote for women was vote for development and conflict free election.

Mr Phillip Ayamba, Executive Director for Community Self-Reliance Centre, said women issues were central to development therefore, when given the opportunity to serve in Parliament they could be placed in a better position to debate for the welfare of women and children, generally the most vulnerable in society.

He said the ability of women to mobilize and facilitate collective actions could not be over emphasized so there was the need to prime women issues in the national agenda and such advocacy could effectively materialize if women were given the chance to be part of the legislature in the country.

Mr Ayamba noted that even though the 2000 population census put women in the majority, continuous discrimination tendencies such as the inability of women to have access to land, production resources and credit facilities and cultural practices had undermined progress in ensuring that women attained full independence.

He said it was only morally right that women who constituted majority of the population voted for their fellow women to Parliament to take actions on their behalf, adding “women have vast know-how in home management and could translate this into better policies when given the mandate.”

Mr Ayamba said "women are capable, competent and in a better position to contribute positively to debates in Parliament especially those issues regarding women and children”.

Mr Emmanuel Atogi, a retired civil servant, called on women to be peace brokers and peacemakers during Election 2008.

He called on politicians to restrain their activists and supporters from using abusive and libellous language during the campaign in order not to create unnecessary tensions.

Mr Robert Alagkomah, Head of Programme of CENSUDI said the forum was a follow-up to build the capacity of women Parliamentary Candidates in the Region for the challenges ahead during Election 2008.

Madam Mary-Margaret Issaka, Programme Manager of CENSUDI, noted that women knew best what was good for them and could perform better when given the opportunity to serve.