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A research has revealed that women in government are more accessible to their constituents than their male counterparts. The research thus recommended the involvement of more women in the governance process.
A Gender Consultant, Mrs. Dede Bedu-Addo, said it is imperative that Ghana has more women in office since they are seen as responsible, committed, and often perform better than men. Speaking at a media sensitization workshop in Accra, she said that women have patience and are more concerned about people from all walks of life.
Women, Media and Change, established to promote effective use of media for the advancement of women in collaboration with ABANTU for Development and supported by the Canadian International Agency (CIDA), organized a two day media sensitization workshop for selected journalist from Accra, Central, Eastern, Volta and Western Regions. Mrs. Bedu-Addo spoke on “Gender and Governance issues in Ghana.” She noted that Ghanaian women’s participation in decision-making lags behind that of men, even though they have made considerable advancement over the past decade. She regretted that Ghanaian women’s presence in Parliament has not increased appreciably over the decade, citing the 2000 parliamentary elections which resulted in 18 women being elected in the 200 parliamentary seats. “The 2004 elections had 25 women being elected out of 230 parliamentarians. Between 1997 and 2004, there were two women in a cabinet of 19 members. Out of the 10 regional ministers, only 2 were women from 1997 to 2000. Between 2000 and 2004 there was no woman regional”. Mrs. Bedu – Addo further said although the 2008 general election witnessed a large number of women aspirants who elective positions, they could not get to their final destination due to the scheming intrigues and financial constraints that characterized the political terrain. “Even where women indicated willingness and self confidence to stand for public office, their effort has been thwarted by male-dominated political and administrative structure. Generally, African politics places much emphasis on individual connections and affiliations at the expense of ability and qualifications”. She emphasized that the media should therefore take up its responsibilities as ‘the fourth arm of government ‘, be at the front line and push for both legislative and constitutional reforms that will give credence to women’s participation in politics, without the usual cronyism and nepotism that keeps women out. She argued that just as the media has assisted male politicians to gain popularity, they should do the same for women. “The media should strive to promote gender-equitable governance and elections that will be globally adjudged as free and fair”. They must recognize the enormity of their assignment and handle it with dexterity and seriousness of purpose, she added. |
