Women must participate in election processes - NCCE

Richard Asilevi, Kpando Municipal Director, National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), has called for the active involvement of women in the country’s electoral processes as the nation prepares for the December general elections.

He said women and children were the most vulnerable during electoral violence and that it was time political actors mainstreamed the participation of women in pushing for a violent-free election.

Mr Asilevi was speaking at a day’s training for Christian women organised by Christian Mothers’ Association, a Non-Governmental Organisation with support from Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, a German NGO.

The training was on the theme “Women Partnering In The Election Process- A Credible And Violence-Free Election 2020.”

He entreated women to embark on a campaign of helping make the December election the most peaceful ever in the country for the security of their businesses, children and health.

“When electoral violence happens, women are seen with their children moving and they ask themselves where are we going, they don’t know....” he lamented.

Mr Asilevi said women needed to ensure that their voices were heard during election years.

“Women need to ensure that their husbands, brothers and fathers are educated on the need for a peaceful election so that at the end of the day peace will prevail,” he added.

Mrs Olivia Ansu Amponsah, Executive Secretary, Christian Mothers’ Association, said the Association organized the training to equip women who “gave birth to the young men who are used to perpetrate violence during elections” that they had a major role to play by reaching out to the youth to give peace a chance in politics.

She said the women had to use their motherly instinct to help protect the sanctity of the nation for the sake of the vulnerable in society.

Mrs Philomena Afeti, President, Christian Mothers’ Association, Immaculate Conception Parish, Kpando, pleaded with the women to spread the message of peace before, during and after this year’s election to all local Churches.

“Don’t just be hearers of the message but ambassadors who desire to spread the good news of peace in this year’s election,” she appealed.

The women, who were invited from Kpando, Hohoe and Ho, were taken through lessons on local government system and good citizenship, public speaking and community entry, functions of the three arms of government and legislative processes to equip them to perform their task of campaigning for peace effectively.