A women?s group, the Savannah Women Empowerment Group Ghana (SWEGG), has expressed worry that the postponement of the District Level Elections (DLEs) would impact negatively on women representation at the Assembly level.
The Spokesperson for SWEGG, Mrs Veronica Barik , at a press conference in Bolgatanga, noted that only 50 women filed to contest for the elections this year, as compared to 70 who contested in the previous elections in 2010.
Mrs Barik said the number might reduce because of the postponement of the elections.
She recalled that in 2010, out of a total of 6,103 district assembly members elected nationwide, only 412 representing 7.4 per cent, were women, and said this was very abysmal.
She blamed the situation on lack of resources, and some negative traditional influences.
? The figures, she said, were even worse in the three Northern Regions.
For instance, she said, In the Upper West Region, out of a total number of 293 assembly members, only 14 representing 5 per cent were women. In the Upper East Region, a total of 353 women were elected, and 24 representing 7.3 per cent, were women. The Northern Region figures were even worse and unacceptable with women numbering 19 out of a total of 703.
Mrs Barik said, ‘these figures were discouraging, considering the bread and butter issues discussed at the Assembly level, which lies in the domain of women?.
?We as a group are worried that this postponement may reduce the numbers further, and ultimately have a negative impact on the representation in local governance,? she intimated.
She explained that already some of the women who filed to contest this year, got funding from some Non-Government Organizations, and had exhausted all their resources and energies in campaigning, and indicated that it would therefore be difficult for them to re-mobilize funds to undertake the exercise.again
The group which is a network of women working to ensure that women of the north are empowered socially, economically and politically, to participate in the decision-making process of the country, are therefore calling on the government and the Electoral Commission to ensure that the elections takes place within six weeks.
Mr James Daud Abang-Gos, Chairman of the Regional Inter-Sectoral Gender Network (REGSEGNET), appealed to the women not to give up on the elections, and called on all stakeholders to support them when the elections were re-scheduled.
GNA
