Inculcate gender issues in medium-term development plans - Eric Banye to MDAs
An Economic Consultant, Eric Banye, has asked municipal and district assemblies (MDAs) to inculcate gender issues in their four-year medium-term development plans.
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That, he indicated, would ensure parity and fairness between males and females in all aspects of development.
Mr Banye made the call at a training seminar for local government officials at the Eastern Regional capital, Koforidua last week.
The seminar which was organised by the Hunger Project in partnership with Ghana as well as BMZ was to strengthen sub-district institutions for community-led public services in Ghana.
The event which was also to improve the responsiveness, transparency and accountability of local government authorities was attended by municipal and district chief executives (MDCEs), planning officers of the assemblies, coordinating directors and budget officers.
Disadvantage
According to Mr Banye, most often development plans initiated by the assemblies had been tailored towards males at the disadvantaged of females and persons with disability (PWDs).
Male dormination
"In most cases, medium-term development plans of the assemblies are skewed towards male domination which does not augur well for the development of the communities", he stated.
Gender-parity
Mr Banye stressed that since the female population was higher than that of the males, it was expedient to implement gender-parity development agenda that would equally cater for the people.
Lack of funds
With regards to the implementation of medium-term development plan of the assemblies, he indicated that lack of funds made it almost impossible to execute such plans and that had largely affected the communities to develop.
That, he noted, was because most of the assemblies depended on Common Fund and minimal internally generated fund (IGF) that were not enough for the execution of the plans.
The Country Director of the Hunger Project, Samuel Afrane said the assemblies were now collaborating effectively with the communities in terms of development.
Resources
He said, for instance, that in some circumstances, the communities mobilise their own resources of which assemblies also added their resources for the implementation of projects for the benefit of the people.
Mr Afrane described such a two-way cooperation as the best for the development of the communities.
He however expressed dissatisfaction about the implementation of some the projects and called on the assemblies for improvement.
He encouraged the assemblies to constantly be in touch with the communities to know exactly what their priority needs are in order to profess solutions.
Best District
Mr Afrane congratulated the Okere District Assembly for their outstanding partnership and asked them to continue the good works.
The District Chief Executive (DCE) for Okere, Daniel Kenneth said the assembly had collaborated with Hunger Project to develop the communities.
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