Support to women to contest for elective positions - Agyeman-Mensah

Dr Naana Agyemang-Mensah, Country Director of The Hunger Project (THP)-Ghana, an NGO, has called for concerted effort to tackle the continued under-representation of women in political decision-making processes.

She said women need to be given every necessary support and encouragement to fight for elective positions.

She described as completely unacceptable the present situation where their representation in the district assemblies and parliament stood at less than 10 per cent.

There are only 19 women among the 230 parliamentarians.

Dr Agyemang-Mensah asked stakeholders particularly the media, to work hard to assist change things by giving prominence to women development issues.

She was speaking at a day’s workshop organized for some selected journalists at the Noda Hotel at Fumesua near Kumasi.

It formed part of the NGO’s “We know politics project” designed to promote women’s participation in local and national politics.

The project is being sponsored by the Department for International Development (DFID), Federation of International Women Lawyers (FIDA), the European Union (EU), United States Agency for International Development (USAID), WiLDAF, Womankind Worldwide, Gender Centre and The Hunger Project-Ghana.

Dr Agyemang-Mensah said women if aided to play important roles in politics would have brighter chances of getting elected into powerful positions to influence policies to protect their interests and that of children.

She appealed to the media to rally the nation to fight socio-economic, cultural and religious practices and beliefs that tended to marginalize women.**