Consider affirmative action process in selection of women to Parliament - Owusu-Ekuful

Communications Minister, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful has called for the consideration of the affirmation action process in the selection of women candidates into Parliament.

According to her, it’s about time the male representatives in the House allowed for a substantial number of women representatives to serve in the House and its other committees.

The Member of Parliament for Ablekuma West constituency, speaking in an interview with GhanaWeb at the just ended Parliamentary primaries of the NPP said;

“We need to seriously consider the affairs of the affirmative action process in selecting our candidate into Parliament. This is a rather gruesome process for women that it leaves so many scars and we need more time to heal the wounds. We don't have that time so if we can work to ensure that more women get into parliament in an easier manner, then we should,” she advocated.

Owusu Ekuful added that having more women representation in Parliament will be good for the progression of the New Patriotic Party, the nation and the legislature body as well.

“I am excited that we will still be able to return a majority of women in the House because we’re too few so I was a little concerned that the few women in Parliament were being so hotly contested,” she explained.

For the Dome-Kwabenya Constituency of the primaries, Hon. Sarah Adwoa Safo emerged the winner in a keen contest against the H.E Mike Oquaye Jnr. which saw her retain her seat for a second consecutive time.

The Communications Minister however mentioned although she is close friends with both contenders, she was elated the contest saw Madame Sarah Adwoa Safo emerge as the winner.

“It does not mean that Mike Oquaye Jnr is not a good candidate. It means that Adwoa Safo is slightly ahead of him in this Constituency but he lives to fight another day” Owusu-Ekuful concluded.

Delegates of the NPP on Saturday June 20, 2020, voted to elect parliamentary candidates for 168 constituencies.

Twelve out of the 35 women who contested the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) parliamentary primaries last Saturday, won their bid to represent the party in the upcoming December 7 elections.

Of the 47 women who filed to contest, 12 went unopposed prior to the elections.

The victory of the additional 12 brings the total of women to represent the NPP in the 2020 parliamentary polls to 24.