Hajia Dubie makes women proud

Article: Salome Donkor
One woman who has made people of the Sissala East Constituency proud is Hajia Rafatu Halutie Alhassan Dubie. Her success in politics mirrors the rise of women in politics and a positive step in bringing women in her constituency into the limelight.
Hajia Dubie, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament (MP) for Sissala East, who unseated the incumbent People’s National Convention (PNC) MP, Mr Moses Dani Baah, to become the first female MP for the constituency, has also been vetted and approved by Parliament as a Minister of State at the Office of the President.
Until she became an MP, the 61-year-old First Deputy Regional Women’s Organiser of the NDC, who is one of the 20 women in the country’s 230-member legislature, served in various capacities at the Tumu Hospital in the Upper West Region, and retired as a Deputy Chief Medical Assistant of the hospital in 2007.
She was an appointed assembly member of the Sissala District Assembly from 1994 to 2000 and elected the Presiding Member of the same assembly between 2000 and 2001, after which she contested for the Sissala East seat on the ticket of the NDC and lost in the 2004 parliamentary elections.
Determined not to allow her performance in that election to stifle her efforts, Hajia Dubie put the past behind her and contested for the same seat in the 2008 election and defeated the incumbent MP.
On average women constitute only 17 per cent of representatives in parliaments across the world, and Rwanda is the first country in Africa to meet the 50 per cent quota as stipulated in the African Union (AU's) Protocol to the African Charter on Rights of Women in Africa.
Achieving an improvement in the representation of women in politics and decision-making had been one issue that had attracted the attention of gender advocates and women rights groups
During the 2008 elections the Women in Law and Development (WiLDAF) Ghana consistently highlighted the need for the various political parties to work with their women’s wings and women’s rights groups to put in place affirmative action to address the abysmal performance of women in the parliamentary elections, under its “We Know Politics” project.
WiLDAF maintains that the country needs affirmative action to step up the exposure of women to the public political positions. That assertion challenges her with an awesome responsibility of making the voices of her constituents heard in parliament.
During the elections, there were specific activities and statements from women's groups to political parties to field more women in safe seats, as there were others to directly strengthen individual women's capacity to stand and win seats as parliamentary candidates.
The Women's Manifesto Coalition hosted by ABANTU for Development also initiated actions supported by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), ActionAid, Frederick Ebert Foundation FES and others in support of that goal.
One significant outcome of the 2008 elections is the appointment of the first female Speaker of Parliament, in the person of Mrs Joyce Adeline Bamford-Addo, to preside over the sittings of the Fifth Parliament of the Fourth Republic. That action had been described by women rights advocates as historic and a plus in the country’s democratic process to inspire more women to serve in decision-making positions.
To demonstrate the NDC government’s commitment to gender equality, President Atta Mills stated in his maiden State of the Nation Address to Parliament: “We will revise, adapt and implement our Affirmative Action Policy for Women of 1998, making sure that we have incorporated the key demands of the 2004 ‘Women’s Manifesto for Ghana’ as well as those of other political parties consistent with our women’s empowerment agenda.
Furthermore, it is heart-warming to know that there are eight women out of 35 ministerial nominees, who have been vetted and approved by Parliament. They are Ms Akua Sena Dansua, Minister for Women and Children’s Affairs; Mrs Juliana Azuma-Mensah, Minister of Tourism and Mrs Betty Mould-Iddrisu, Attorney-General and Minister of Justice.
The rest are Ms Hannah Tetteh, Minister of Trade and Industry; Mrs Sabah Zita Okaikoi, Minister of Information and Ms Sherry Ayittey, Minister of Environment, Science and Technology; Hajia Rafatu Halutie Alhassan Dubie, Minister of State, Office of the President, with Mrs Ama Benyiwa-Doe as the Central Regional Minister.
The deputy ministerial appointments announced by the President on Monday included five women.
Ghana also boasts the first lady Chief Justice, Mrs Georgina Theodora Woode, who was appointed in 2007 and the first lady Vice Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast, Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang. These could be described as positive steps to improve women’s participation in governance and decision-making.
Asked to comment on the challenges that confronted her while contesting for the 2004 and 2008 parliamentary elections, the soft-spoken Hajia Dubie said although it was not easy, she was able to win the seat in 2008 because she had served the people and became familiar with their needs. She said she was prepared to withstand the frustrations that confront her as a woman in the areas of financial constraint and gender discrimination and encouraged herself by urging the people to appreciate the need to respect the views of women, who constitute over 50 per cent of the nation’s population.
She said her position as an MP and a Minister of State entails two things, namely to serve her constituents and the nation at large, adding that she was determined to use her position to better the lot of women who suffer various forms of abuse and neglect.
She said she had organised a clean-up exercise in her constituency and also held meetings with various community groups and leaders to brief them on what could be done to advance the cause of development in the area, with their support.
She added that a lot could be done with her share of MPs Common Fund, the District Assemblies Common Fund, as well as working in co-operation with district assemblies.
She advised the people to keep their environment clean and organised regular clean-up exercises to curb the spread of disease.
The MP said one of her priorities was to identify young boys and girls who dropped out of school and encourage them to learn a trade so that they could go back to their various communities as responsible people.
She expressed her profound gratitude to the President and the people for the confidence reposed in her and resolved to work to justify the trust.
Hajia Dubie, whose maiden name was Rita N. Nandzo, was trained as a midwife and had pursued Women in Management Training, Town Community Interactive and Country Planning courses, as well as Integrated Management of Childhood Illness and Integrated Management of HIV and AIDS Anti-retroviral Therapy programmes in Tamale, Wa and Kumasi respectively.
She is also a member of the Sissala District Health Committee and a board member of the Tumu Teacher Training College. She had also served as a member of the Tumu Credit Union, Chairperson of Tumu Education Sub-Committee and as a member of the Mother and Child Care Committee.
Hajia Dubie is married with five children.