The opposition Peoples National Convention is expressing discontent following a significant number of female incumbent New Patriotic Party Members of Parliament who have lost their candidacy in the just ended primaries of the NPP.
According to the PNC, such a trend could potentially decrease female representation in the 2024 elections and subsequently in the next parliament. The Party stated that it was disheartening to see the NPP not take any steps to protect female parliamentarians in the just ended election.
After the Saturday NPP primaries some of the female MPs who lost to men in their respective constituencies are, Sarah Adwoa Safo MP for Dome Kwabenya, Freda Prempeh MP for Tano North, Lariba Zuwera Abudu MP for Walewale, Ama Pomaa Boateng Juaben MP, Sheila Bartels MP for Ablekuma North and Tina Gifty Naa Ayeley Mensah member of parliament for Weija Gbawe constituency.
In a statement signed by the PNC General Secretary Janet Asana Nabla, said the inaction of the NPP has the consequences of marginalizing women in Ghana’s politics. They have therefore urged parliament to enact laws that address challenges of gender inequalities.
“It is concerning that there are still issues of low representation of women in politics, and parliament appears to be ignoring the concerns of women in Ghana by not passing the affirmative action bill,” the PNC stated.
The PNC has thus encouraged Ghanaian women to utilize demonstrations and boycotts, including potentially boycotting the 2024 elections, if the Affirmative Action Bill is not passed into law prior to the elections.
“Both the NPP and the NDC, as political parties represented in parliament, have taken the women of Ghana for granted. We appeal to all women in Ghana, including female politicians, food sellers, market women, women in farming, and those in the private and public sectors, to stand up and demonstrate for their rights.”
The Party also called on “civil society organizations, the media, academia, religious leaders and experts to shift their focus from NPP and NDC politics and instead exert pressure on these two political parties to pass the Affirmative Action Bill into law, in order to ensure female participation in Ghana’s politics.”
Meanwhile, the PNC has vowed that a future PNC government upon assuming office will pass the Affirmative Action Bill into law within six months and transform the Ministry of Gender into a non-political ministry by granting gender-based institutions the power to appoint the head of the ministry.
Source: A1radioonline.com|101.1MHz|David Azure|Ghana
