Koforidua, April 8, GNA - The Eastern Regional Director of the Department of Women and Children's Affairs, Ms Jane Kwapong, on Thursday appealed to Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies to set up a fund to support women who want to go into politics, especially at the grassroots level.

She also called on political parties to protect and promote equal rights for women to engage in political activities and take a step further to select women to contest elections in their safe constituencies to increase their numbers in parliament.

Ms Kwapong was speaking at a one-day review meeting on the challenges and prospects of women in public decision making positions. Participants from the Prisons, Education and Fire Services, Beauticians and Dressmakers Association among others attended the meeting that the Ministry of Women and Children's Affairs (MOWAC) organised. Ms Kwapong called on society to see gender equity as a tool to sustainable development and work towards it. She urged women to encourage and morally support their colleagues who have the potential and aspire to be elected.

The Member of Parliament for New Juaben South, Ms Beatrice B. Boateng, appealed to women to rise and prove to the world that "God created women in a special way", adding that "knowledge rests with women". She said poverty was a major challenge that did not make women to aspire to greater heights and that women were usually the poor ones who would need money for their campaigns.

Mr Rex Baah-Antiri, Regional Head, Guidance and Counselling Unit - Ghana Education Service (GES), appealed to the government to strengthen partnership that will help in strengthening women to form part of decision makers in the country.

"Most government policies which help women hanging up in files should be re-visited", he said.

Mr Baah-Antiri said women should be totally liberated, therefore violence which takes all forms to suppress a woman must be stopped. He called on religious bodies to organize talk shows concerning women to empower them. 08 April 10