NPP-USA women's wing condemns Minority over 'Bloody Widow' tag

The women's wing of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the United States of America (USA) has condemned the recent behavior put up by the Minority Members of Parliament (MP's) describing it as shameful and appalling.

According to them, this has come at a time when there is a massive outcry in the country over the inadequate representation of women in politics and governance, and said those who engaged in such act should bow their heads in shame.

They also expressed disappointment in the behavior of some of the women in the minority who supported their male counterparts in the act and called on the minority to apologize to women especially, widows who voted for them to get to where they are.

The statement was issued by Mrs Barbara Boafo, NPP-USA Women's Organiser.

She bemoaned that even if the men didn't see the emotional trauma accompanying widowhood, at least the female MP's should have empathised with Madam Lydia Seyram Alhassan without being political.

She noted that even if they didn't endorse her election they could have used the appropriate avenues to seek redress but not to such a demeaning way adding, "referring at a woman as a 'bloody widow' is the worst form of abuse to a woman".

This, Mrs. Boafo noted has the tendency to discourage women who have future plans to enter into politics and queried, "does it mean that a widow cannot do what men do or widows cannot contest for certain positions in Ghana?"

Members of Parliament on the minority side, National Democratic Congress (NDC), on Tuesday 5th February 2019 staged a walkout during the swearing-in of Lydia Alhassan, the newly elected Member of Parliament for the Ayawaso West Wuogon constituency.

Minority Chief Whip, Muntaka Mubarak Mohammed, on the floor of parliament, asked permission to boycott the swearing-in in order to solidarize with the victims of the violence that occurred at the La Bawaleshie polling centre during the election.

The minority, however, displayed placards with the inscription “bloody widow”, which suggested that the minority was actually against the swearing- in of the newly elected Member of Parliament for the Ayawaso West Wuogon constituency, Lydia Alhassan.