District assemblywomen attend conference

Accra, Aug 15, GNA - The Government has been asked to translate into law, the Administrative Instrument requesting an increase of 50 per cent of women as its appointees to the district assemblies. A hundred and thirty-eight District Assemblywomen made the request in a seven-point Communiqu=E9 issued at the end of the second biennial conference of District Assemblywomen in Accra. The conference, under the theme: "Enhancing Women's Participation in Districts Assemblies: Strategies for District Elections 2006", was held between July 26 and July 29.

A release signed by Dr Rose Mensah-Kutin, Convenor of the Women's Manifesto for Ghana and made available to Ghana News Agency on Monday, recommended that until the country achieved gender parity, women standing in the district assembly elections should be supported financially from a special independent fund created by the Government.

It further recommended that since capacity building was a key factor for full participation in elections, regular budgetary provisions should be made to enhance the capacity of district assembly members, particularly women.

It called for both women and men in the district assemblies to have equal access to financial and material resources for development work as well as the putting in place of measures by the Government to promote shared responsibilities of life for both women and men. Those measures, according to the Communiqu=E9, would help to create a balance in family life and work responsibilities that would facilitate women's active participation in public life. The Communiqu=E9 also called on women to work together and support one another to strengthen their cause since they shared a common identity.