Female MPs called for support for women contesting Assembly elections

Koforidua, May 26, GNA - Two female Members of Parliament (MPs), in the Eastern Region have called on women to support their fellow women who would contest the forth-coming District Assembly elections. This, they said, would go a long way to increase the representation of women in politics as well as encourage others who have the competence to take up leadership positions.

Ms Beatrice Boateng and Ms Gifty Klenam, MPs for New Juaben South and Lower West Akim respectively, said the number of women in any given community outnumbered that of men, adding that women only needed the support of their fellow women to realize their set goals. Speaking at a day's capacity building workshop in Koforidua for 27 aspiring women who would be contesting the elections in the region, they urged women to do away with the 'pull her down syndrome' and support the cause of women.

They said complaints by some people that the few women in parliament and the District Assemblies were not living up to expectation were untenable, adding that in spite of their numerical disadvantage the women were "matching their male counterparts boot for boot". The two parliamentarians noted that cultural and educational background had been one of the hindrances to women empowerment and called on women to educate their female children to be strengthened for leadership positions in future.

They pledged their support to all women in the region who would want to contest in the coming District Assembly elections and the 2012 parliamentary and presidential elections, to increase women representation. The workshop was organized by the African Women's Development Fund (AWDF) in collaboration with the parliamentary women caucus to strengthen women's capacity to enable them to represent women effectively in society. The participants were taken through preparations towards elections, fund raising strategies, campaign programmes and general issues of composure to win the confidence of the electorate. Ms Jane Kwapong, Eastern Regional Director of the Department of Women, said the attitude of women towards their fellow women more often created hindrances to their aspiration. She mentioned the lack of self-esteem, pride and unrefined speeches as some of the attitudes that "bring women down". 26 May 10