Misogyny is NPP’s stock-in-trade - De Sosoo

The remark by Assin Central legislator, Kennedy Agyapong, to the effect that Electoral Commission chairperson Charlotte Osei traded sex for her current portfolio proves the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) has no respect for women, which the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) will exploit ahead of its 2016 polls, says Anita De Sosoo, vice chairperson of the governing NDC.

Mr Agyapong on June 25, 2016, addressing party supporters in Kumasi, suggested Mrs Osei, who replaced Dr Kwadwo Afari Gyan as EC boss in June 2015, did not get the position on merit, but had to sleep her way to her appointment.

Mr Agyapong has been criticised by several people and groups in the country for the comments. However, in a twist, the NPP’s national women’s organiser, Otiko Afisa Djaba, recently said the allegation needs to be investigated to bring out the truth.

Reacting to Ms Djaba’s call on Ghana Yensom, Accra100.5FM’s breakfast show on Tuesday, July 19, Ms. De Sosoo said the NPP had been known for disrespecting women, despite the important role the fairer sex plays. According to her, Mr. Agyapong’s comment was not only in his personal capacity but represented the stance of the NPP.

“It is the party’s position and since it is their position that is no problem. They can disgrace us because we are women, but since we have God, we will say nothing. … It is the NPP’s sub-culture to sully the image of women, so, we have resorted to using it [in our campaigns].”

According to her, she had concentrated her campaign in rural Ghana, where she relays the MP’s remarks to women there.

“For me, I tour the country; I do not remain in the city. I am informing the women in all the rural communities [I visit]. So, let the spirit enter them [members of the NPP] so they keep insulting women and the women will keep making up their minds to vote for us [the NDC].”

The former Deputy NADMO Coordinator said she had personally been at the receiving end of vitriol by Mr. Agyapong in the past and mentioned other leading figures of the opposition party as being on record to have hurled abuses at women.

In her view, such talk gave fuel to the perception that all successful women made it to the top only after offering sex and advised that the NPP should be left to continue visiting such invectives on women, who form the majority of the Ghanaian population, as the electoral implication of that will soon be felt.

Ms. De Sosoo urged women not to be demoralised by such comments, but “rise up and work hard” and show their versatility, which leaves men unable to cope with the void created by women’s absence from the home and beyond.

Ms. Sosoo also stated that she was continuing to hold out hope that a woman would rise to become president of Ghana in the near future.