The Foundation for Security and Development in Africa (FOSDA) is dissatisfied with the huge gender disparity in terms of job placement in the district assemblies.
With emphasis on local governance, FOSDA’s position is that women’s representation and participation in terms of assembly, statutory and sub-committee’s level is still very low as compared to their male counterparts over the past 25 years of practice.
As part of efforts to reverse the trend, FOSDA is organizing series of capacity enhancement training workshops for aspiring female Unit Committee and Assembly Members across the country.
[contextly_sidebar id=”PigOO4aRKcAkS5rpDOs57UKQbKiuB0Sv”]The workshop aims at training and supporting the participants to be able to successfully campaign and win more seats at the upcoming District Assembly and Unit Committee elections.
At a two-day workshop in Tamale attended by 30 aspiring female Unit Committee and Assembly Members drawn from the three regions of the north, Executive Director of FOSDA, Ms. Afi Yakubu condemned the marginalization of women in local governance.
She said studies conducted by her outfit and the Institute of Local Government Studies (ILGS) showed that women’s participation in local governance level was low.
She was convinced that sustainable development at the local governance level could not be achieved without the full participation of all sections of the population.
In view of women’s multiple roles performed sequentially in society, Ms. Afi Yakubu believed they could be best managers of the nation’s economy if giving the chance.
She thus reaffirmed FOSDA’s commitment to empower more women in the Savannah Zone to achieve their economic and political goals.
She called for collective responsibility to deconstruct patriarchy which has since time immemorial promoted men’s supremacy over women at work places.
On security, Ms. Afi Yakubu bemoaned the increasing rate of human security threats which have hindered women and children’s growth in the three regions of the north.
She again asked for collective response to solve the “Needless” conflicts.
Two of the participants commended FOSDA for the orientation.
Madam Adongo Monica and Madam Anabia Hannah both from the Bongo District in the Upper East Region said such interventions were necessary.
Madam Adongo Monica said, “This workshop is actually good and it is something that is advocating for women to go into governance and FOSDA is making us to know that women’s place is not only in the kitchen.”
Madam Hannah Anabia stated, “This workshop is building my capacity and I have been empowered to be bold enough to win the assembly election and continue to contribute my quota to the development of my community.”
Model one of the workshop concentrated on planning to participate in democratic elections and gaining acceptance to elected office.
While the second model dealt with public speaking and advocacy and political negotiating skills, the third model focused on developing and managing effective campaign.
With support from United Kingdom based organization called Comic Relief, FOSDA is empowering women as means of promoting good governance.
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By: Abdul Karim Naatogmah/citifmonline.com/Ghana