The triumphant candidate
The newly elected parliamentary candidate of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Ayensuano Constituency in the Eastern Region, Ida Adjoa Asiedu, has called for deliberate efforts on the part of the state and political parties to improve the participation of women in the politics of the country.
According to her, achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5 requires deliberate efforts by all stakeholders. SDG 5 aims to ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic, and public life by 2030.
Mrs. Asiedu explained that leadership roles should not be given to women just because of their gender at the expense of experience and qualification, adding that societal challenges that impede women’s development should also not be relegated to the background.
She pledged to prioritise women’s empowerment, fight for equality, and passage of the Affirmative Action Bill should she win the 2024 parliamentary election.
The businesswoman also assured members of the party that she would not be intimidated because of her gender but work hard to recapture the parliamentary seat for the NPP in the 2024 elections.
She further indicated that even before becoming a Member of Parliament for the area, she had been constructing roads in the area with her resources, adding that her commitment to the development of the area led her to establish a shoe processing factory, which is about 73 percent complete.
Mrs. Asiedu over the weekend beat competition from four men, including a three-term former MP, Samuel Ayeh-Paye, a Deputy Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Mark Okraku-Mantey, and two others.
Ida Adjoa Asiedu, the first female parliamentary candidate of the Ayensuano Constituency polled 410 votes, with Mark Okraku-Mantey coming a distant second with 136, while Samuel Ayeh-Paye polled 105. One Ernest Kwasi and Kingsley Boateng polled four and three votes respectively, placing fourth and fifth in the race.
 BY Daniel Bampoe