Accra, May 21, GNA - A United Kingdom branch of the Convention People's Party (CPP) has called on Ghanaian women to support and vote for the Party during this year's Presidential and Parliamentary elections.
An E-Mail sent by R. N. A. Akomfrah, Chairman CPP UK and Eire Regional Branch, to the Ghana News Agency on Friday said: "As the December election in Ghana nears, the Convention People's Party (CPP) has even before the publication of Party Manifestos repeatedly asserted that its wish is to continue with its policies and programmes interrupted by military coups in Ghana.
The statement said some opponents for the sake of cheap propaganda had been quick to categorize this as "CPP lack of ideas. CPP Needs to Update its Policies".
"The reality is that many CPP ideas and initiatives were and are decades ahead of their time, with the African continent and indeed the world now struggling to catch up and implement some of these policies, the statement said".
"CPP policies are more relevant for many of our needs today than ever before."
The statement said the CPP record on "Women and Equality" for example was second to none since as part of its policy to enhance political and civic rights of women, it made provision for the election of women to the National Assembly.
It said 10 women Parliamentarians took their seats at the First Session of the First Republic of Ghana in 1961 and CPP thus catapulted women onto the political scene in a way that was new both in Ghana and Africa.
This act was part of projecting the African Personality and raising the status of African Womanhood.
The statement said under the CPP, women were appointed to serve on Boards of Corporations, Schools and Local Councils and some women served on the Party's Central Committee.
Increasing numbers of women entered courses of higher education with many pursuing courses abroad that qualified them to occupy positions previously held exclusively by men.
It said the CPP abolished discriminatory provisions relating to women at the workplace work and introduced equal pay for equal work - a concept, which many countries including the most advanced were struggling to introduce today adding that the CPP guaranteed maternity leave with full pay.
Women were trained at the Ghana Air Force Training School, Takoradi to become pilots and some were encouraged to enrol in the army to train alongside men in the infantry - another concept, which many countries including the most advanced are struggling today to introduce. Women were encouraged to join the intelligence and service corps and to become electrical and mechanical engineers, the statement said, adding that it was no surprise then that the most enthusiastic supporters of the CPP were women, including market women, who contributed generously to party funds.
It said the CPP set up the National Council of Ghana Women (NCGW) in September 1960 and in the same year held the conference of Women of Africa and African Descent.
"For the CPP these issues were not about political correctness or getting the female vote, but a recognition that women were the backbone of the community with an equal stake in the development of the country and thus encouraged all women to become actively involved in achieving development and other national goals."
The statement said; "the CPP is the natural home of all women and women must rally to help the CPP resume its progressive policies on Women & Equality". 21 May 04
