Women urged to change passive attitudes

Mrs Veronica Barik, a Gender Advocate, has observed that women would continue to be marginalized in society if they refused to change their attitudes.

Mrs Barik made the observation during an engagement stakeholder meeting organized by the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) at Bolgatanga.

The Programme, in series to cover the Kassena Nankana, Builsa and the Bawku West Districts, and sponsored by the European Union, is aimed at encouraging more women and persons with disabilities, to patronize the forthcoming District Level Elections (DLEs)

The Gender Advocate stressed that women formed the bulk of the population, and could narrow the gender gap in governance if they so wished, but had over the years refused to do so, even after having their capacity built by Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs).

“Government alone cannot empower us if we do not change our own attitudes. We can dictate the pace of every election, and get more of us to occupy more governmental positions if we so wish.”

She regretted that despite support from many non-governmental organizations and government, to whip up the interest of more women to stand for elections, the number continued to dwindle

Mrs Georgina Abere-Ako, Regional Director of the Department of Women and Children, stated that the time for women to act was now, and appealed to them to change the trend by voting for more women who would be contesting for the DLEs slated for March 3, as well as the 2016 general elections.

The Regional Director of the NCCE, Mr Pontius Pilate Apaabey Baba, who took the participants through a skills presentation, and how to mount election platform, impressed upon them to eschew derogatory remarks and character assassination during their campaigns.

He told the participants that most candidates lost elections because of their misconduct during their campaigns, and entreated them to conduct their campaigns based on issues, and not on promises they could fulfil.

The Municipal Director who took the participants through the role of the Decentralization Concept and the role of the Assembly, stressed that proper development in a particular locality could not thrive well if the Assembly was weak.

He encouraged the participants to take interest in local development by taking part in the District level elections, and entreated communities to desist from over demanding from Assembly Members.