The Widows and Orphans Movement (WOM) and the Network for Women’s Rights in Ghana (NETRIGHT), in partnership with STAR-Ghana Foundation and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), hosted a Regional Consultative Forum on Post-Election Accountability in Bolgatanga.
The high-level forum aimed to promote gender-responsive governance and inclusive democracy in Ghana. It brought together key stakeholders to reflect on the 2024 electoral process and identify areas for improvement. Discussions focused on challenges encountered during the elections and strategic recommendations to enhance transparency and promote the inclusion of women and other underrepresented groups.
Elizabeth Anafo, Programs Coordinator at WOM, emphasized the importance of inclusive initiatives that support vulnerable groups. She noted that the forum provided a platform for stakeholders to share experiences, challenges, and best practices in promoting gender-responsive governance and inclusive democratic processes.
“It’s wise that we conduct this post-election evaluation to assess whether the interventions truly addressed the issues they were designed for, and whether those issues were recognized and acted upon as outlined in the law. Beyond that, various political parties made promises during the elections—one of them is now in government. How are they fulfilling those promises?” she questioned.
Stakeholders who participated in the forum included representatives from government institutions (such as the Electoral Commission and the Electoral Commission Civic Education), traditional leaders, civil society organizations (CSOs), non-governmental organizations (NGOs), youth advocates, political parties, academia, and others.
The partnership seeks to strengthen women’s human rights and drive policy change. Abigail Adumolga, Gender and Child Protection Manager at Youth Harvest Foundation Ghana and a member of NETRIGHT, stressed the importance of ensuring gender inclusivity at all levels of governance and development.
The forum also served as a platform to assess the Affirmative Action (Gender Equity) Act, 2024—its impact so far and strategies needed to ensure full implementation to improve women’s representation across all sectors and levels in the country.
Source: A1Radioonline.com | 101.1MHz | David Azure | Bolgatanga
