The National Association of Local Authorities of Ghana (NALAG) has mounted a campaign to support and assist women to participate in local level elections.
The move is to get many women as possible at the local government level as the number of women keeps on reducing and currently from 13 per cent to 4.5 per cent.
According to the General Secretary of NALAG, Kokro Amankwah, since the inception of district assembly elections, women have been unable to attain the United Nation’s recommended threshold of 30 per cent in representation in the assemblies.
Mr Amankwah made the revelation at a day’s capacity building and sensitisation workshop on women participation for women who will be participating in the 2019 assembly elections in Ashanti, Brong and Ahafo Regions.
“It is about time women who get the chance to be at the local level decision making processes did not settle for being government appointees, but they should be encouraged to move from that position to contesting elections and winning.
“By that decision, their input will be well cherished and they will be respected equally as their male counterparts at the assembly level as the under-representation of women at local of governance and decision making is a deficit in democracy, good governance and rule of law,” Mr Amankwah stressed.
George Kyei-Baffour, the former president of NALAG, noted that, there was no doubt women in positions were more accountable than their male counterparts, many women should be given the chance to contest elections freely, fairly, credibly and transparently in the country.
He observed that “women’s contribution to local assembly governance was overlooked as their essence of being part of the assembly level of governance has been reduced to “mere government appointees”.
“I encourage participants not to be discouraged considering the little support and assistance they gained, rather forge ahead with their plans and strategies to contribute meaningfully to governance at the local level,” Mr Kyei-Baffour said.
FROM FAUSTINA KWABEA OSEI, KUMASI
