We Know Politics II launched

Saturday, August 7, 2010 (The Mirror Pg 26)

By Rebecca Kwei
A project to improve the low level of women's participating in policy-making and government representation has been launched in Accra.
Dubbed 'We know Politics II' is aimed at creating an environment where women are able to effectively participate in politics.
Currently, women account for only 19 (8.3 per cent) out of the 230 positions in parliament and only 6.5 per cent of district chief executives within local government structures and 11 out of the 170 Metropolitan/Municipal/District Chief Executives.
The project is being implemented by WiLDAF, Gender Studies and Human Rights Documentation Centre, the Hunger Project and the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA Ghana) and sponsored by the European Union represented by the European Commission in Ghana, UK Aid, Ghana, Womankind, World-wide and UK Aid, London.
In 2008, the 'We Know Politics I' project was initiated which ensured that concerns of women remained an integral part of the political campaign that year.
Giving an overview of the second phase of the 'We Know Politics' project, the National Programme Co-ordinator of Women in Law and Development in Africa (WiLDAF), Ms Bernice Sam said the three-year project had targeted 24 districts in the 10 regions of the county.
The beneficiary districts are Jomoro, Shama, Evalue Gwira, Tarkwa Nsuem, Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abirem, Breman Asikuma, Assin South, Ho East, Keta, Kpandu, Ga South and Dangme West.
The rest are Lambusi, Sisala East, Jaman South, Jaman North, Asante Akim South, Obuasi, New Juabeng, Lower West Akyem, Savelugu Nantong, Nalerigu, Navrongo and Bolgatanga.
Ms Sam said the criteria for selecting the districts were that they had female Members of Parliament (MP); female Metropolitan or District Chief Executives; had dynamic women with potential to contest elections and or were at difficult areas where women had challenges engaging in politics.
Some of the activities that will be undertaken are the training of 600 community people in governance, sensitisation workshops, production of a documentary featuring 12 key women in leadership positions, 2nd Women's Dialogue with presidential candidates in 2012, meeting with the NDC government and four political parties to assess the progress of women in Ghana since 2008 and networking with journalists, editors and women's organisations.
Ms Sam said it was expected that the “We Know Politics II” project will among others increase the effectiveness of women’s participation in politics to address women’s issues at the local and national levels by 2013 and help the government and main political parties produce affirmative action policies to ensure at least 40 per cent women’s representation in party positions and elections.
The Minister of Women and Children's Affairs, Mrs Juliana Azumah-Mensah, who launched the project, said the low number of women in policy-making limits women's contribution to development, poverty reduction and to the achievement of gender equality.
She said although women in government had been talking about the low representation of women in public office, a lot of pressure from outside would also help to address the situation.
She, therefore, congratulated WiLDAF and its partners and sponsors for the initiative.
Mrs Azumah-Mensah announced that her ministry and the Ministry of Local Government would embark on a programme which would identify 20 women who would be supported to take part in the forthcoming district assembly elections in October, this year.