Assembly members urged to make gender issues a priority

Bawku, (UE) June 11, GNA - Assembly members of the Bawku Municipal have been urged to make gender issues a priority in their communities in order to attain favourable and sustainable development of the area.

The 68 assembly members were asked to constantly take into consideration the interest and needs of both sexes, especially the marginalized, and the vulnerable, in planning, implementation and monitoring of activities in the community.

Mr Philbert Kupul, Coordinating Director for the Bawku Municipal Assembly, made the call at a two-day training programme at the weekend for both elected and appointed assembly members in the Bawku Municipality to equip them in the discharge of their duties.

The assembly members were oriented on issues such as the Standing Orders, the Assembly Committee System, the local government and the Metropolitan, Municipal/District Assembly (MMDAs) system and the Functional Organizational Assessment Tool (FOAT) of the MMDAs.

Mr Kupul noted that ensuring gender equity would promote human development, employment, and productivity and ensure transparent and accountable governance at the local level.

He emphasized the need to give women equal chance as men in decision making because women were the majority in society. Mr Kupul said to make gender issues sensitive there was the need to encourage women's involvement in the planning process of the community so as to speed up the development process of the community.

Mr Francis Awindoaga, a retired civil servant, who was a facilitator of the programme, appealed to stakeholders such as traditional authorities and civil society organizations to promote progressive traditional values and initiate social policies that would benefit and develop their communities.

He called on the assembly members to unite and collaborate with the private sector to provide resources for the implementation of the developmental agenda of their communities.

Mr Awini Abdulia Akyia, presiding member for the Bawku Municipal Assembly, appealed to the assembly members to comply with the non-partisan nature of the office in order to be able to achieve the aim of the assembly.

He said if they remained non-partisan it would enable the assembly to fully and effectively deliberate on issues and achieve good results consensually.