The Queen of Ghana Pageant is making a clarion call on all Ghanaians to put their weight behind all women vying for political appointments and leadership positions in this upcoming general election.
"The onus is on us as a people to ensure that there is more women inclusion within our body politic; further ensuring an inclusive future for our girls, for our women," she said.
According to the Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Araba Biesema Crentsil, "this will be in keeping with four cardinal goals of women empowerment and women inclusion; which are namely: economic empowerment, social empowerment, political empowerment, as well as psychological empowerment."
She believes that "all these and more are fundamental to the growth of our women as a nation."
"Our political empowerment schemes, of which we are currently touching on in our clarion call, involve encouraging women’s participation in decision-making processes, leadership positions, and political representation. Studies show higher numbers of women in parliament generally contribute to stronger attention to women's issues. Women's political participation is a fundamental prerequisite for gender equality and genuine democracy. It facilitates women's direct engagement in public decision-making and is a means of ensuring better accountability to women," she said.
Araba Biesema Crentsil further added, "Political accountability to women begins with increasing the number of women in decision-making positions, but it cannot stop there. What is required are gender-sensitive governance reforms that will make all elected officials more effective at promoting gender equality in public policy and ensuring their implementation. And that is the reason for our Women For Leadership and Governance Campaign."
"We know that when women are excluded in decision-making, policy outcomes are likely to be ineffective. Better inclusion and representation lead to stronger and more resilient democracies. Gender equality in politics is not only about numbers, and equal parliamentary representation is only one step in true gender-sensitive policy-making. The positions that women occupy in parliaments are also indicative of their influence in decision-making and their ability to set the direction of parliamentary work," she emphasized.
The Queen of Ghana Pageant is a ground-breaking initiative dedicated to empowering women to step into positions of leadership and influence across the world, founded by trailblazing Ghanaian beauty queen and model Araba Biesema Crentsil.
This pageant is more than just a celebration of beauty—it's a clarion call for women to claim their rightful place in the realms of politics, governance, and beyond.