Association bemoans decline in number of elected assembly women
Members of the Upper East Region Past and Present Assembly Women Association (PPAWA) and the Regional Intersectoral Gender Network (RISEGNET) have bemoaned the decline in the number of women elected and those appointed to the various district assemblies in the region after this year's district assembly elections.
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They further expressed regret that in spite of efforts made by the two bodies and assurances from stakeholders to help increase women's participation in local governance, the number of women, both elected and appointed to the assemblies in this year's district level elections, dropped from 66 in 2010, to 50.
The members expressed these sentiments during a meeting in Bolgatanga to reflect on the outcome of the 2015 District Assembly Elections. Sponsored by Ibis Ghana, a non-governmental organisation, the meeting was also used to elect a new executive of the PPAWA.
According to the Chairman of RISEGNET, Mr Daud Abang-Gos, it was "unacceptable for the region to lose a good number of women at the local level after the recent assembly elections".
Figures
Giving a breakdown of the figures, Mr Abang-Gos stated that the Bolgatanga Municipal Assembly, and the Bongo, Talensi, Kassena Nankana, Builsa South, Garu-Tempane and Binduri district assemblies each had only one woman while two women were elected to the Kassena Nankana West District Assembly.
He further explained that in all, nine assembly women were elected while 343 men were elected to the 13 district assemblies in the region, pointing out that not a single woman was elected to the Bawku Municipal Assembly, Nabdam, Builsa North, Pusiga and Bawku West district assemblies.
He stated that regarding the number of government appointees to the assemblies, the only district that ensured gender equality was the Bongo District that ensured that eight men and women were appointed as government appointees.
The remaining 12 districts all had males dominating in the appointments, culminating in a total of only 26.6 per cent of women getting appointed as the total number of government appointees for the whole region.The total number of government appointees in the case of males were 114 while that of the females was 41.
Assessment
During an open forum, some of the women, such as the assembly member for the Fumbisi Central Electoral Area, Madam Helen Akanbong, Assembly member for Atibabisi Electoral Area, Madam Mary Atatura and Madam Lydia Miyella, all expressed concern about the turn of events in separate remarks.
According to them, factors such as the perceived partisan nature of the assembly elections, cultural issues, some negative attitudes on the part of women towards their own fellow women, failure of some women to fulfil promises when elected as assembly members, complacency and lack of financial support for women, all contributed to the decline in the number of women elected to the various district assemblies.
The assembly women also emphasised the need for stakeholders to educate the various communities on the essence of the district assembly concept to avoid making it partisan and the situation whereby communities demanded certain things to be provided for them before they voted for a particular aspirant.
The former President of PPAWA, Madam Agnes Atayila, urged her colleagues to unite and support each other to aspire to various positions in life.
The Programme Facilitator of Ibis, Ghana, Madam Cynthia Bawa, commended the women for their achievement in spite of the challenges they went through.
"Although you did not achieve what you wanted, I must say that you must not give up but continue to fight until the right things are done for women," she advised.
Madam Bawa indicated that women needed some form of legal backing for their struggles and urged the government and all stakeholders to ensure the passage of the Affirmative Action Bill.
PPAWA Officers
Nine women were elected as the new executive to steer the affairs of the PPAWA for the next four years, with Mrs Bride Atania as the new President of the association.