The Community Development and Advocacy Centre (CODAC), a Non-Governmental organization based in the Upper East Region has called for the non- monetization of local level elections, for women and other vulnerable people to participate based on their competence.
Mr Bukari Issaku, the Executive Director of CODAC, speaking at a one-day workshop on Gender Responsive reporting in Bolgatanga, organised for Journalists in the Upper East Region, said women played a vital role in communities, but were virtually left out in decision-making because of their low level of political participation, especially at the local level which was paramount.
He said 21 women contested in the last District Assembly Elections for the over two hundred positions in the Region, but only four won as Assembly persons and that, he added, was not encouraging.
The workshop, organised in partnership with STAR Ghana Foundation, formed part of a three year project, dubbed, ‘’Gender Rights and Empowerment Programme’’ (G-REP) in the Bolgatanga Municipal and Bawku West District, funded by Foreign, Commonwealth and development Office (FCDO), to support Women in District Level Elections by building their capacities.
The workshop aimed at increasing media practitioners’ understanding of the barriers against women in political participation, expand their knowledge on why women should be supported and improve their skills to enhance the quality of reporting on women political participation.
It was also to enable Media practitioners in the Region, appreciate the role of women in decision-making and political participation at the local level for good democratic governance and enhance their understanding on some of the limitations in reporting on women political participation for development of advocacy plans to support them.
Mr Issaku said women were confronted with certain historical socio-cultural barriers that restricted them in taking up leadership positions, and that was holding back some key women related issues.
Mrs Afayak Limatu, the Programme Officer of CODAC, said the NGOs were only supporting women by building their capacities and helping them to develop their posters and urged the public to disregard the notion that monies were being given to them to contest, as experienced in the previous elections.
Mr Sumalia S. Saaka, a private Trainer and the resource person of the workshop urged journalist to be guarded in their reportage about women participation in politics, adding that more women would develop interest when they were not tagged in ways that demeaned their person.