Past and Present Assembly women engage political parties

PAST and Present Assembly Women in the Upper East Region have added their voice to the need for all political parties to ensure peace before, during and after the December 7, 2012 Presidential and Parliamentary elections. The President of the group, Madam Agnes Atayila made the call at an engagement forum with political parties in Bolgatanga. The forum was to the group the opportunity to interact with the various political parties and parliamentary aspirants on their party’s manifestos and agenda for the advancement of women. It was also to critically analyse how the various parties and parliamentary aspirants seek to address the problem s of women representation though the affirmative action, unpaid care work for women, health and violence against women, economic empowerment and creation of equal opportunities for women advancement. “As Ghanaians, we only have one home, Ghana. Where do we go if out only home is not peaceful and accommodative to us? We urged all political parties to tolerate each other, campaign on issues and accept defeat and conduct their activities without jeopardizing the peace and tranquillity we are currently enjoying”, Madam Atayila said. She said as representatives of women at the local governance level, it was their interest to ensure that political parties that usually constitute government are accountable to the good people of Ghana, particularly women. She noted that elections periods are usually routine times for politicians to make promises but fail to deliver when voted into power, hence the need for the engagement as a step in holding politicians and for that matter political parties accountable for pledges and promises made to Ghanaians. The Upper East Regional Youth Organiser of the NDC, Mr. Robert Yeli-Oni in his presentation said the party is aware that the north’s poverty profile ranks women the poorest and also recognises the fact that the life of every poor household can change faster once the woman is empowered. He said as part of the party’s commitment to empowering and ensuring gender equity, the NDC government in 2010 launched the ‘Women in Local Governance Fund’ to support women participation in local government elections. He said the NDC government has also established the Domestic Violence Fund and also accepted the proposals in the White Paper on the Constitutional Review Commission with regards to provisions which are meant to improve the status of women in Ghana. Mr. Yeli-Oni said the NDC in its manifesto has proposed to address gender inequality by ensuring the expeditious enactment of the Affirmative Action Act to provide a framework for addressing historical gender-related injustices adding that the party will work with political parties and civil society organization to take the provisions of the Affirmative Action Act into account in sponsoring candidates for elections. Mr. Crispin Avanakwa Awupuri who represented the Progressive Peoples Party said it is the ambition of the party to establish leadership training institutions in every district to give training to girls and equip them with the necessary tools to be able to play active leadership roles wherever they find themselves. For his part, Mr. Paul Abanga-Niah, Regional Education Secretary of the Convention People’s Party said the party has always believed in the effective role of women in society hence the choice of a woman as chairperson for the party. He said when voted for, the CPP will continue and make it possible for women to play key roles at every level of the governance structure in this country. Mr. Amidu Mamudu Sisala, Regional Treasurer of the Peoples National Convention, said 50 percent of appointment in their government when elected will be allocated to women. Mr. Gregory Dery, of Action Aid Ghana, which supported the programme said it was about time political parties attached seriousness to issues of gender equality and women empowerment , stressing that the instances where politicians make vain promises without implementing them was long gone. He also bemoaned the dwindling numbers of females in parliament as well as other key positions such as Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives and said such worrying trends must be addressed. -End-