CPP throws weight behind Affirmative Action Bill

The Convention People’s Party (CPP) on Thursday threw its weight behind the Affirmative Action Bill which seeks to increase the representation of women in politics and all areas of decision-making.

In a statement signed by Ms Samia Yaba Nkrumah, Chairperson and Leader, of the CPP, to mark International Women’s Day, she said the CPP would like to ensure that the noble ideals envisioned in the national theme - “Connecting Girls, Inspiring futures”- were realized to achieve equal opportunity for both girls and boys to reach their full potential.

“Importantly, we believe in the removal of all institutional, cultural and social barriers that prevent girls and young women from participation in society as equal partners particularly since women constitute the majority of our population,” Ms Nkrumah said.

Ms Nkrumah said the 2010 Population and Housing Census indicated that women constituted the majority of the population of Ghana.

Thus, women can be described as indispensable in the development of this nation.

“Women have a great role to play in our quest to evolve a new economic order, to accelerate social, economic and political development and consequently transform the Ghanaian society.

“Women’s contribution to their households, food production, education and health as well as national economic development has been acknowledged by many.”

Ms Nkrumah said it was evident in the modern world that women played a range of roles including, being a wife, a mother, a home maker and above all a development agent.

"In effect, she is expected to be a good mother and a wife and at the same time contribute her quota to national development."

Ms Nkrumah recalled that not long ago, women organizations in the country came together to develop a “Women’s Manifesto” which emanated from consultations with women at all levels of society.

The document, it said, was presented to political parties to inform the development of their policies for the general election in 2008, but not much had been done to improve the living conditions of women in Ghana.

“As a political party…we believe that sustainable national growth and transformation can only take place if policy makers adopt gender-responsive policies, strategies and programmes. It is my hope that all of us will work towards such a goal.”

Ms Nkrumah said the global call for increased women’s participation in socio-economic activities must not be seen as a charitable act but rather as a call for social justice and the means through which the country could maximise their potential for national development.

She said the woman in the 21st Century was an important agent of change because most women had increasingly become responsible for educational and other material needs of their dependents.

Ms Nkrumah said the CPP believed that in order to change the country’s vision, it had to change the orientation as a nation and understand that to reach all the people, women must be reached first, as they influenced their children, the family and the nation at large.

She expressed regret that despite the enormous contributions that women were making to society, they were still the least advantaged.

They are considerably poorer and less educated than their male counterparts, and less likely to engage in decision making in public life.

Ms Nkrumah said women had to be encouraged, enabled and empowered to achieve higher levels of education to increase their participation and output in national development.

She said political commitment was needed for designing and implementing a long-term national development strategy and its associated policies.