Six NPP women vie for seats in E/R

04/05/08
Story: Salome Donkor
It is the expectation of non-governmental organisations and women groups to see an increase in women’s participation in the forthcoming parliamentary election.
This is in view of the fact that years of continuous public education by a number of non-governmental organisations and women groups, and the adoption of affirmative action taken in recent times, the representation of women in politics and public offices have only made minimal impact.
Women constitute more than 50 per cent of the country’s 20 million plus population but their share of political and public office appointments does not reflect this trend.
Although women would want to be in the mainstream of political activities, deeply rooted social-cultural practices that relegate women to the background and educational qualification and make most of them to recoil into their shells. To win the support of the electorate, they are required to outshine the men in constructive arguments, debates and presentation of ideas.
For the few women that have the necessary qualification, zeal and enthusiasm to contest elections, they lack the financial resources to pursue their aspirations and sometimes have to depend on men for assistance.
The only area women have met the 30 per cent Affirmative Action benchmark is at the District Assembly level where their participation has improved from five to 35.5 per cent
Women approached the 2004 election with the hope of picking 50 seats in parliament. They succeeded in winning 25 seats. Across the 10 regions of the country, the Western Region fielded 13 women candidates, Central 12; Greater Accra 16; Volta 12; and Eastern eight. Ashanti Region had 16; Brong Ahafo six; Northern seven; Upper East six; and Upper West four.
The ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) fielded the maximum number of 27 women candidates. Currently, there are 25 women in Ghana's 230-member parliament.
As the heat for preparations towards the December 7 parliamentary intensifies, it is important to monitor the situation to see the extent of the participation of women.
Records from the Eastern Region Secretariat of the NPP indicate that six women are among the 65 people who have filed to contest the parliamentary elections on the ticket of the party in the region.
They are Mrs Esther Obeng Dapaah, Minister for Lands, Forestry and Mines, who is the only sitting female MP in the region, who is contesting the Birim North seat with two men and Ms Gloria Ofori-Boadu, a Barrister-at-Law and Human Rights Advocate, who is contesting the Abuakwa South seat, which became vacant following the election of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as flag bearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
Ms Ofori-Boadu who is a former elected assembly member, is contesting the seat with five men.
The Mpreaso seat, currently occupied by Dr Francis Osafo Mensah is also being contested by Ms Sussana Mensah, a former Deputy Eastern Regional Minister, Ms Grace Attafuah, a former Regional Women’s Organiser and three men. The sitting MP is not contesting.
Another seat that is expected to generate a heated competition is the New Juaben South Constituency, which is being contested by the incumbent MP and former Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Yaw Barimah, Madam Beatrice Bernice Boateng, a former Presiding Member of the New Juaben Municipal Assembly and two men.
Madam Boateng is the current assemblymember for Social Welfare Electoral Area of the New Juaben Municipality and the Vice-Chairperson of the Women in Local Governance Fund, which was set up by the Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs.
The sixth women, Madam Gifty Klenam is contesting the Lower West Akyem seat with two men including the sitting MP Mr Apeatu Ankrah.
All the women have indicated that they have plans to transfer their rich experience to benefit the communities in the respective constituencies and to add to the number of women MPs in the Eastern Region.
The Regional NPP Secretary, Mr Alecs Agobo said the candidates would be vetted soon while primaries would be organised in the various constituencies by the end of the month.
He said the region had a lot of women who were equally endowed to participate in competitive elections but most women who could not withstand some of the verbal attacks and outrages associated with electioneer decided to stay in the background.
The region had no woman MP from 1992 to 2004 and it is expected that more women will file to contest as MPs on the ticket of other parties.
*All women aspiring MPs are encouraged to send their Curriculum Vitae and a passport sized photograph to the Women’s Page at editorial@graphic.com.gh