Diana Aburiya Asuure was elected by delegates at the NPP primaries in 2023 as the parliamentary candidate. She hopes to be the first woman to win the Bongo seat.
Ms. Aburiya Asuure was contested by two others: Frank Aborigo A-ugidimah and Richard Mba Asalma. She secured 350 votes, while Frank Aborigo A-ugidimah had 232 votes and Mba Asalma Richard had 19 votes. Ms. Aburiya Asuure’s will face Charles Bawa-Dua, whom she has described as “a newbie in parliamentary elections.”
In 2012, the New Patriotic Party (NPP), presented Diana Aburiya Asuure, as a parliamentary candidate for Bongo. She lost the election to Albert Abongo. The NDC’s Albert Abongo polled 18,609 votes, representing 53.7 percent of the votes, while Ms. Aburiya Asuure polled 11,118 votes, representing 32.01 percent of the total votes cast.
REBIRTH
In a recent interview, Ms. Aburiya Asuure said her win at the primaries suggests the growth of her influence in local politics. It also signals the decision of the people to take the initiative to increase the representation of women at decision making levels.
She says she is a champion for women and youth.
“Once women constitute a majority, decisions about women should at least have the input of women. If you have a larger population whose fate would be decided by a minority group, I think it doesn’t speak well.”
Ms. Aburiya Asuure knows that the journey she is undertaking is difficult. Campaigns she said, “are very expensive.” The other is that many “are not used to being led by women.”
Ms. Aburiya Asuure says the election journey is hostile to women.
CHALLENGES
Khadijah Abdul-Samed, Gender Advocate says one of the most basic barriers for women is being wrongly accused of being promiscuous.
Unpaid care work, she says, is another major barrier for women. “Women are thinking about what time they can go for certain meetings and still come back to attend to what has been said to be traditional roles of women.”
CONVENTIONS
Article 17 of the 1992 Constitution directs Parliament to implement policies and programmes aimed at redressing social, economic, or educational imbalances in Ghanaian society.
Ghana’s Women Representation and the Affirmative Action (Gender Equality) Bill represent a significant legislative initiative aimed at promoting gender equality and addressing the underrepresentation of women in various spheres of public life.
SOLUTIONS
Ms. Khadijah Abdul-Samed called on Parliament to pass the AA Bill into law. She demanded action to “tackle the systemic ideologies that push women to the back. This can be greatly achieved by promoting positive masculinities, engaging men as agents of change, and dismantling gender stereotypes.”
Source: A1Radioonline.Com | 101.1MHZ | Mark Kwasi Ahumah Smith | Bolgatanga
