There is need for equal representation of women in governance  – CPP Presidential candidate

The Presidential Candidate of the Convention Peo­ple’s Party (CPP), Nana Akosua Frimpomaa, has called for equal representation of women in governance.

She said women played an important in building a prosperous societies and should be included in decision and policy making processes.

Nana Frimpomaa was speaking at the African Women Leaders Network (AWL), Ghana Chapter, in partnership with Canada Fund for local initiatives fonds Canadien d’initiatives locales (CFLI/FCIL).

The CPP candidate indicated that the representation of women in parliament, currently at 13.8 per cent, fell significantly short of the targeted 30 per cent.

The forum, held in Accra yester­day, aimed at promoting women’s political leadership through di­alogue was on the theme: ‘Em­powering Voices, Shaping Future: Advancing Women’s Political Leadership.’

Moreover, Nana Frim­pomaa said although women make up 52.2 per cent of Ghana’s 34.6 million population, they were underrep­resented and their efforts not recognised.

The Senior Liaison Officer, Ms Bertha Desmennu, High Commissioner of Canadian High Commission representative, said women in politics faced several systemic challenges, from unequal representation to social stereo­types that often undermine their leadership potential.

According to her, many women in the political space struggle with access to funding, media visibility and political culture that could still be hostile to their participation.

“It’s crucial to recognise these barriers but, more importantly to work collectively to address these inequalities. The need for collective action through awareness and constructive discussion is key,” she added.

The Chairperson of the Africa Women Leaders Network, Ghana Chapter, Dr Charity Binka, noted that women played a significant role in the development of Ghana and emphasised the importance of women’s presence in leader­ship positions, as they provide high-quality leadership.

She said the Affirmative Action Bill (AAB), a landmark legislation that addresses the deep root­ed gender discrimination in the country, would provide a mean­ingful voice for women in politics, education, and healthcare.

“I urge women to vote for women this election to enable them to win more seats in parlia­ment. When women are in leader­ship positions they bring out the best” she added.

The Presidential Advisor on Gender and Development, Office of the President, Dr Angela As­ante-Essah, said Ghana needed to do more to ensure gender equity and equality in all spheres of life.

She urged Ghanaians to vote more women parliamentary candi­dates into the eighth Parliament.

“If we want to see more change in gender equity then it needs to be practical support women in your constituency who are contesting for parliamentary seats. Assist them financially, word of advice, not just speaking and not getting involved practically,” she said.

 BY PRECIOUS NYARKO BOAKYE

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