Government taken to task

Accra, June 5, GNA - The government has been tasked to initiate actions to ensure 40 per cent representation of women in government as stated in the 1998 Affirmative Action document.

"We further urge the Ministry of Women and Children's Affairs to collaborate with the Ghana Statistical Service to generate gender disaggregated data to inform the process of increasing women's participation in governance and leadership in the country". These were contained in a communiqu=E9 issued at the end of a two-day seminar attended by 30 journalists from five regions namely Greater Accra, Western, Central Eastern and Volta. The seminar organized by Women, Media and Chance (WOMEC) and supported by Abantu for development and Women's Manifesto Coalition (WMC) was on the theme: 'Promoting greater visibility for women in leadership in the country".

It urged government to ensure that the decentralization process remained non-partisan and devoid of monetary influence. It further stated that government ensured adequate representation of women at district and sub district levels of administration the target of at least 40% representation of women must be met.

It again asked government to legalize the 1998 Policy Statement on Affirmative Action and put in place structures for the implementation of the policy statements that included the setting up of the Committee on affirmative Action as stipulated in the document in reference. To fulfil the promise to set up a Special Fund for Girls education as stated in the said document for the education and training of women and girls at all levels as well as undertake a national evaluation of the "Girls Education Programme" of the Ministry of Education.

The communiqu=E9 asked government to make election processes very transparent and devoid of rancour and acrimony and advised political parties to put up women parliamentary candidates in constituencies considered to be party strongholds or safe seats and step up political education to encourage more women to stand for election and also for the electorate to vote for them.