Women campaign for more representation in the assembly

Juaso (Ash), Aug 27, GNA - A five-day training workshop designed to whip up the enthusiasm of women in Asante-Akim South in the upcoming district level elections to put themselves up as candidates, has been held at Juaso.

It was part of the "We Know Politics Project II" being implemented in 20 districts across the country to garner support for women aspirants in local and national elections.

Hunger Project-Ghana, Women in Law in Africa (WILDAF) and the Gender Studies and Human Rights Documentation Centre are jointly funding the project.

Mrs Gifty Ohene-Konadu, a Member of Parliament, closing the workshop, said it was time women shook off apathy towards politics and contested for elective offices.

There is important for them to have significant representation at all levels of decision-making because they are largely affected by decisions and policies of the government.

She said it is by so doing that they could influence policy for their own protection and that of children.

The MP advised the participants to embark on vigorous campaigns to get more women elected to the assembly.

Dr Naana Agyemang-Mensah, Country Director, Hunger Project-Ghana, criticised what she said was the continued discrimination against women, even at the family level.

She said right from infancy, female children are made to believe that they are less important than their male counterparts, a situation she condemned as totally unacceptable.

Dr Agyemang-Mensah urged the leadership of the various political parties to encourage women to contest elections to promote gender parity in the decision-making process.

The participants have now constituted themselves into what they call, "Coalition of Women in Governance (COWIG)" with the immediate task of campaigning for women in the upcoming assembly elections.