Only three women out of the 12 who contested the just ended district level elections were elected to represent their electoral areas in the New Juaben Municipality, according to a report by the Electoral Commission (EC).
They are Madam Esther Adjei, Old Estate West assembly, Madam Doris Aku Bansah, Anlo Town South assembly, all incumbents, and Madam Gloria Gyapong, Akwadum assembly.
The New Juaben Assembly had four women as Assembly Members in the over 54 member house, and out of the number, Madam Kate Valerie Bejabeng and Felicia Lamptey lost their bid for a second term.
In an interview with some of the women who contested the election, they all agreed that, the terrain was not favourable for women and therefore called for a leverage, in the form of affirmative action to ensure that, more women were elected to the assemblies.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, one of the women decried the influence of money in the elections adding that , when it comes to money in politics the men would always be ahead and if that is not halted, ‘no woman would go to the assembly’.
She told the GNA that, prior to the elections, the three men she was contesting against, teamed up to campaign against her, and that was difficult for her to breakthrough.
Madam Doris Bansah, even though she was elected, shared the same views with her female colleagues, noting that, there must be a consistent and well defined effort to support women at all levels to participate in elections and become part of the decision making process.
She said, the stress and demands of elections, whether at the assembly level or at a higher level, Women needed a leverage to be able to rub shoulders with the men and called on women to rally behind their fellow women, who take up the bold decision to contest elections.
