Women and governance

Ghanaian women cannot be underrated in any form in our current democratic

dispensation at any level of governance in our beloved country called Ghana. Many

women have contributed in diverse ways to building this nation and given the chance

and the support could do better.

Many of these women have excelled in various levels of governance except the

Presidency and I am looking forward to that day, when, to start with, Ghana will

have the first woman Vice President of the Republic of Ghana, then to the position

of President.

I must say that the number of women currently participating in our democratic

governance is woefully inadequate to say the least. For any sustainable development

in any country, good governance is paramount. There are many women with the

necessary qualification who can contribute to the developmental needs of the country

if given the opportunity. When you look at the number of women in parliament it is

nothing to write home about - just inadequate. How many women are elected as

Assembly Members? How many are appointed as District Chief Executives? How many are

heading public institutions? These are questions, which need to be addressed by all

Ghanaians. We all must rally behind women for them to take their rightful places in

society as well as participating in good governance of our country. Hilary Clinton

delivering a lecture at a women conference said, "Let women work and they drive

economic growth across all sectors. Send a girl to school even just

for one year and her income dramatically increases for life, and her children are

more likely to survive and her family more likely to be healthier for years to

come. Give women equal rights and entire nations are more stable and secure. Deny

women equal rights and the instability of nations is almost certain." With the

above statement, compromising the capabilities and indispensability of Ghanaian

women would create an irreparable damage to the state.

Our antipathy ancient mentality towards women holding public office must change and

change for the better. Some years back, and even now, some people believe that a

woman's place is restricted to the four corners of her kitchen which I think is

preposterous and I vehemently disagree to that assertion. Women of today are more

sophisticated, vibrant and intelligent and have all it takes to properly and

effectively manage any state institution given the chance and the encouragement.

The National Democratic Congress in their manifesto promised Ghanaians to appoint

about 40% of women to be in the helm of affairs of public institutions so as to whip

up or spur other women to take up public offices. Government should endeavour to

fulfill that promise so as to make a statement that government is committed to

having women to be part of our democratic governance. With such level of commitment,

it will go a long way to encourage women across the length and breadth of this

country to avail themselves for public office appointment or election.

Ghanaian women should not be relegated to the background at any level of state

governance. The few who were given the opportunity have proven beyond any reasonable

doubt that they were or are ready to contribute their quota to the national

development of this nation. Justice Joyce Bamford Addo, Speaker of Parliament. Anna

Bossman, the Acting Commissioner of the Commission on Human Rights and

Administrative Justice, Joyce Aryee, the Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Chamber of

Mines, Mrs Gloria Lamptey, former head of training at the Agricultural Development

Bank, just to mention a few. These are women who have distinguished themselves

creditably in all aspects of their work. A lot more like the above-mentioned

personalities are out there waiting for the opportunity to serve their dear country

Ghana.

The participation of women in local governance should be encouraged, since it will

serve as a training ground for most women to participate in parliamentary elections

and eventually being elected into Parliament. I think the way to go is to promulgate

a law, which will allow the president to appoint about 50% of women to the position

of District Chief Executive.

In order to encourage more women in our local governance structures, government

should come out with a law that will allow the District Level Elections to be

rotated. This is how is going to work. In a particular year of district elections,

no man will be allowed to contest for the position of Assembly Member, meaning it is

going to be all women affair. Then in another election year based on the rotational

process, this time, both the women and their male counterparts will be allowed to

contest for the position of Assembly Member. Implementing the above suggestions

would see a lot of women getting interested in public office or being appointed to

occupy various public offices

About 60% of our labour force are in the agricultural sector and it is also believed

that majority of them are women and children. These women and children are the

people feeding the country. If today they decide to put down their tools all of us

will go hungry. It is therefore proper or prudent that the very people who feed us

are given the chance to be part in our governance processes. As a nation, we should

not be intransigent about the needs of our women, for if we treat them very well the

benefits will be enormous

Women who were given the chance to manage state institutions have proven that they

were or are the best managers of those institutions as I mentioned in earlier. Since

our democratic dispensation from 1992 to date, all government officials who have

been hurled before the law courts to answer charges of corruption, misapplication or

misappropriation of funds were or are men and not women. This clearly shows that

women unlike men are unavaricious, moderate diaphanous, and careful in managing

state institutions. Many who sunk deep into corruption were voracious men with

political coloration all over them. Women were far away from the canker. Let’s give

chance to the women and they will never disappoint us, as records have shown that

they are the best managers of the economy.

The District Assembly Elections is slated for December 28, 2010; I want Ghanaians to

go out there to make a statement by voting massively for all those women who have

availed themselves to serve this country. With these women controlling issues, we

can be rest assured that our finances would not be used for self-aggrandizement but

would be committed into the development our communities for the benefit of all.

If we really want our state institutions to be strengthened and also safe, our

national coffers from indiscriminate invasion by acts of corruption, thievery and

financial malfeasance, then the time to act is now or never, by electing or

appointing women to strategically take over some of the state institutions like the

District Assemblies, Parliament, State Corporations and even the Presidency.

It is well.

Nii Amon

Email: niiiamon07@yahoo.com