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11.04.2015 Feature Article

Women Representation In District Level Elections: A Myth?

Women Representation In District Level Elections:  A Myth?
11.04.2015 LISTEN

P.Jawaharial Nehru of India once said:” The greatest revolution in a country is the one that affects the status and living conditions of women”. In China, it is believed that” Women hold half of the sky”. Again, the former Prime Minister of India, Mrs Indira Gandhi:” When women are neglected, humanity is deprived of half of its energy and creativity”.

These words of wisdom underscore the fact that women are forerunners of the world's civilization, customs, culture and culture. They have contributed immensely in the fields of medicine, science, education, marketing, mass media etc, yet women come no close to achieving their rightful place in the world's socio-economic system.

Ever since the world conference of women held in Beijing, China, popularly known in Ghanaian parlance “Beijing conference,” the women of many of African nations including Ghana have taken bold initiatives towards the empowerment of women as a necessary towards the attainment to gender equity and women's equal partnership with men in nation building.

Despite conscious efforts made by the past and present governments, civil society groups and donor agencies to free women from cultural and traditional practices in all fields of human endeavours, women still remain relegated to the background. some traditional practices have been seen as constituting developmental impediments. In the Ghanaian society, it is believed that the superiority of the male is supreme and often reinforced by cultural practices and religious beliefs. For instance, in the Bible, women are regarded as weak vessels.

A study conducted by the Ministry of Women and Children titled “Women in Public Life” revealed that Ghanaian cultural beliefs about the hierarchical relationship between male and female continue to hinder women's career achievement in the public sector. Discrimination often hidden in exclusionary practices in public organizations. The same makes women subservient rather than competitive alongside men in the workplace.Because It is perceived that women manage the family, politics and governance should be the preserve of men.

The present general situation of women has been due to their long historical dependence on the male gender for protection, security, financial and economic security. With the decline of the traditional and the emergence of the modern state, the situation has radically changed with women playing major roles in their communities and nations.

Undoubtedly, women are hard-working but they go through unimaginable problems in holding leadership positions. There have been several approaches to the issue of women in development especially in many developing countries including Ghana.Welfare, equity and anti-poverty approaches some approaches adopted to empower women.

The 2010 population census revealed that women constitute 51.4 percent of the working age group in Ghana with 56.3 percent forming the active population.Ninety-two [92%]percent of the women are in non-wage (self-employed jobs compared to 69% of the men].That notwithstanding, Ghanaian women still occupy lower status as compared to men in areas of decision-making, in education, employment and politics.
There is a global view that women participation in politics was abysmal. According to United Nations (UN) 2013 report, only 20.9 percent of parliamentarians were females across the world. As per 2010 population census, female population forms 51percent but in the area of decision-making, they constitute only 29% in Ghanaian parliament and 3% at the district assemblies. For instance, in the recently botched 2015 district level elections, the situation was even worse, with nothing to write home about women figure

But, however, women's participation in the District Level Elections has not been able to gain the necessary recognition and attention.

It is against this background that a group of student journalists from the Ghana Institute of Journalism sought to find out reasons for the low participation and representation of the women in the District Assembly Elections. Mrs Comfort Quartey, a teacher at the Blemagor Electoral Area in the Okai Koi North Constituency of Greater Accra Region said that the first time she offered herself to contest District Assembly Elections she was abused verbally by her fellow women. Quite apart from that, men she was competing with became hostile towards her and she consequently withdrew from the race. ''There should be women participation and representation in the district level elections and capacity-building and sensitization training programmes to empower women to contest and win the district level elections'' she added.

Miss Agnes Boye, a civil servant, noted that her biggest challenge has been finance. She did not have the means to campaign effectively. Posters, campaign messages and other activities required money and this posed a challenge to compete with her fellow men.

Madam Gifty Mensah, a Human Rights Activist, said that women forms 52% of Ghanaian population but are underrepresented in politics.'' their voices remain unheard and this trend must change'' she lamented. She maintained that women are discriminated for being women.To buttress her point she said the incumbent assembly woman at Abutia Teti in the Volta Region seeking re-election in the forthcoming district level elections was compelled to step down for her male counterpart simply because the man would serve the interests of people better than her. Unfortunately, the chief and elders were those championing the discriminatory against her. Despite this she stood her grounds to contest''. these reflect a general view of majority of women who do not want to participate in the district levels elections.

The findings confirm the fact that women's decision making choices at the district levels elections are constrained by cultural taboos, traditional beliefs, discrimination against women, monetization of electoral campaign, inadequate resources for women, partisan connection and consideration, high illiteracy rates, low public knowledge about human rights, lack of confidence to complete with men for fear of name calling and resistance from men among others.

There is therefore the need to initiate mechanisms to increase women participation in the district level elections by empowering them economically, politically and socially.

George Oko Mensah

871643282 938545871643282 938545

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