Banda-Ahenkro, December 17, 2023
Six (6) female aspirants are for the first time contesting for Assembly and Unit Committee membership positions in the Banda District of the Bono region.
People in the area have for many years not seen females expressing interest in vying for positions in the history of politics and District Level Elections (DLEs) and this shows an improvement of women Involvement in politics in the area.
Despite religious, cultural and societal discriminations and interferences in the Banda District, they are this time around poised to be at the fore-front and be part of decision making process, Mr. Dawud Suleiman, the Deputy Executive Director for Women in Livelihood Development (WiLD) told thefourlens.com in an interview.
WILD is a feminist group (Women-led) organization championing the course of women development in all aspects of life in the Banda District.
Madam Alimatu Amadu, one of the aspirants who contested the Assembly election in 2019 but was kicked out by her male contenders, still hope and pushing to ensure that women views and massages are on the decision making table.
Madam Alimatu Amadu and Adwoa Afrane are contesting the Assembly membership position for Ahenkro West and Ahenkro East Electoral areas respectively in the upcoming December 19 DLEs.
With the Unit Committee members,
Marrima Salia and Kuma Eunice are going for Ahenkro West electoral Area.
Janet Afriyie for Gbao/Sanwa electoral area and Nana Adwoa for Kabrono electoral area.
The interesting story is not different from the Sunyani Municipality this time.
Comparatively, the number of women contesting this year’s DLEs is encouraging because only three women contested in the previous elections held in 2019 in Sunyani.
But this year, 10 female aspirants are contesting the upcoming DLEs in the Sunyani Municipality.
The 10 females are among the 101 aspirants comprising 91 males who filed to contest the Assembly membership elections in 34 electoral areas in the municipality.
With the Unit Committee members,
a total of 2,123 aspirants, made up of 279 females had also filed to contest the Unit Committee positions in Sunyani.
Regional Picture
A data sighted by thefourlens.com from the Ghana News Agency indicate that a total of “877 aspirants, including 65 females are contesting the upcoming DLEs in the Bono Region”.
The Electoral Commission, in accordance with the District Level Elections Regulations, 2015 (C.I. 89), will conduct the DLEs on December 19, this year.
Giving women a leverage in politics
There are financial implications, hence the need to support and give leverage to women who have the capacity to bring development to their electoral areas.
Organizations supporting women in politics should increase the support and platforms for women aspirants, to outline their developmental visions.
Cultural Challenges women face
Women are no more a separate social group whose place in society is just to remain at home and child-bearing.
To this end, many laws and conventions have changed the scenario and face of women the the society.
The sad situation is that, women themselves mount campaign platforms and send insults to their own counterparts.
Stereotyping Women
Some other biases inherited as a society is stereotyping women who want to aspire to be politicians especially when they are not natives of the communities they want to represent.
Since women join their husbands after marriage, they become part of their husbands’ family and the community, but many just forget and do not count that when it comes to politics.
The gender biases we have inherited, and worse still having some women campaigning against their fellow women contestants, dishing out abusive language to frustrate them.
This is a cheap tool by populist politicians who try to wedge out women, and should stop.
Thefourlens.com
Writer’s email: ttchrietoph1@gmail.com
