Free SHS a better option for Akufo-Addo at Women Deliver Conference – Gender activist

Lawyer Gloria Ofori Boadu, a Gender Advocate and a law lecturer at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), says the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) flagship Free SHS programme was a better option for President Akufo-Addo at the 2019 Women Deliver Conference.

According to the astute lawyer, the fact that the policy is being enjoyed equally by both genders at the Senior High school level could have been a better argument.

She added that the President could have used the policy and argued that it is serving as a basis for all to attain equal education and also ensure that both genders can engage in politics on equal basis.

Lawyer Gloria Ofori Boadu’s comment comes after the President while delivering a speech at the 2019 Women Deliver Conference, made some statements which have been described by gender advocates as offensive.

The President said “We are not seeing enough dynamism and activism on the part of those who are seeking. I am talking about dynamism where it matters…electing people to Parliament, controlling political parties because they are the instruments by which our societies make decisions. We are talking about decisions, not wishes and hopes, we are talking about decisions that are going to make the difference”. Speaking to Ekourba Gyasi on Atinka AM Drive, the Gender Advocate said the Gender Ministry did not help matters, adding that they could have provided the President with a paper since he was meeting a feminist group and for that matter gender related.

“The Ministry should have prepared a gender related paper for the President, the Free SHS, the affirmative law among others were other relevant aspects the President could have used”, she said.

She, however, added that women are often marginalized, intimidated and heckled with all kinds of fabricated stories in order to daunt women from contesting some positions in government.

She recounted how some members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) gave her a wrong date for an election when she wanted to contest.

The act resulted in her defeat.