Queen mothers appeal to women to participate in assembly elections

The Western Regional Queen Mothers Association (QMA) has appealed to women, especially those in the Region, to file for nominations and offer themselves for elections when the Electoral Commission (EC) sets the date for the Metropolitan, Municipal and District assembly election.

The queens noted that previous elections had recorded low women participation and this should not be allowed to continue and appealed towomen to get out of their slumber and offer themselves for elections and actively participate in the decision making process of the local governance.

Addressing a press conference in Sekondi, Nana Abena Kunadjoa, President of the Association, said following low representation of females in local governance and at institutional level, efforts were made through treaties, charters and other forms to ensure 30 percent of female participation in decision making positions by governments.

Regrettably, she said the February 2013 edition of the global ranking of percentage of women in national legislature in 190 countries confirmed slow progress.

Nana Abena Kunadjoa, who is the queen mother of Wassa Fiase Traditional Council, said analysis of the EC results consistently depicted low percentages of female candidates with those from the region recording the lowest.

This, she stated, made the Ghana Local Governance and Decentralization Programme (LOGODEP) to hold series of sensitization workshops for members to create the awareness on the need to impress on their ladies to participate in the assembly concept.

“It is against this background that the association with financial and technical support from USAID through LOGODEP in collaboration with the French Embassy and facilitated by the African Women International is assisting them to embark on activities that would enhance female participation in local governance,” she said.

She said they would adopt various measures to encourage female participation in the process throughout-dooring of posters, banners, jingles and others.

Mrs Victoria Araba Dennis, Executive Director of African Women International, facilitators for the association, said her outfit would organize programmes to train female aspirants in public speaking for them to gain confidence.