General News of 2013-02-13

We are not your sisters, aunties or wives - Female MPs charge

Female Members of Parliament are not the least happy about how they are addressed by their colleague male counterparts on the floor of the House.

Member of Parliament for Weija, Ayorkor Botchway says it is strictly business on the floor of Parliament and they must be addressed with the appropriate title.

We are honorable members of the House and that is how we must be addressed on the floor, she said.

She was commenting on the seeming discrimination in the house against female MPs.

She also took serious exceptions to the improper address by the Asawasi MP Muntaka Mohammed who referred to the female MPs as his sisters in the House.

She retorted “I don’t think I am his sister. We are not their aunties, wives. We are honorable MPs, she insisted.”

Her colleague MP for Tarkwa Nsuaem, Mrs Eugenia Gifty Kusi also questioned why there are no female MPs in the Defence, Works and Housing Ministries, even though there are quite a number of experienced female MPs to select from.