WOMEN TO DOMINATE 2010 ASSEMBLY ELECTION

02/0/10
Story: Stephen Bonsu

The Ministry of Women and Children Affairs (MoWaC), in the implementation of UN’s Beijing platform for Action (BFPA) on gender equality, has targeted the 2010 district assembly elections for success.
BFPA, a United Nations (UN) internationally agreed development plan, seeks to achieve equality for women across 12 critical areas including poverty, education and training, health, armed conflict, development, decision making and political participation.
The director of MoWaC’s women department, Mrs. Patience Opoku has outlined that a capacity building project labeled, ‘the district assembly 2010’, seeks to empower women in decision making policies.
The programme, she said, would soon be launched at the national headquarters in Accra.
She explained that the project will as well seek to build women participation and capacity in the forth coming 2010 district assembly elections.
Mrs Opoku also stated that, much as MoWaC seeks to address socio-cultural developments among women, it is also mandated to promote women in all spheres of decision making.
“The 2008 general election unfortunately disfavored the women ministry in our quest to develop women in all decision making bodies, especially the political world”, she said.
She added that it however dawned on the ministry to educate and gain women interest to participate in the forth-coming 2010 district assembly elections.
Mrs. Opoku explained that, MoWaC had begun collaborative works with all local government authorities to champion this project.
She added that the MoWaC’s district directors correlated with local government authorities to unearth potential women who have been coached with the necessary skills needed in political and decision making policies.
She also stated that the women ministry, together with the district assemblies, will facilitate continuous training programmes for women candidates’ through-out the country.
The women’s department director further explained that such capacity building programmes would help distinguish socio-cultural factors that undermine women development, especially in political participation.
Recounting on some challenges faced by women, Mrs. Opoku said that most women lacks the confidence associated with men.
She added that most potential women are constraint in finance; hence the ministry will seek to support them financially, psychologically and materially to boost their participation.
She stated that the capacity building exercise will focus on skills, dialogue and leadership lobbying, and confident debating development, required in political participation.
She added that, the support will psych women candidates to mount platforms to compete for gender equality propounded by UN’s Beijing Platform for Action
She outlined that MASLOC, financial assistance to women, which has been halted for sometime, will soon bounce back to improve women’s development.
She explained that the ministry also has the women networking meetings held monthly at its headquarters in Accra to deliberate over holding issues of needed concern. 
The network includes smaller NGO’s, women advocate groups, women organizations in governmental institutions, women opinion leaders among others which holds over 50 groups in the capital city.
Mrs.  Opoku, however, tasked women to change their attitude towards money-making in catering for families only, and get involved in decision making as well for women development.