Group picture of the participants
Selected African women occupying elected positions from 12 African countries are undergoing a two-day training programme in Accra to enable them take up higher political and leadership positions so that there can be fair representation of women in government as well as judicious use of national resources.
The two-day training was put together by the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD) in collaboration with Commonwealth Partnership for Democracy and Ghana’s Parliament to provide the women with the opportunity to acquire vital professional skills as well as contribute to problem solving sets that can help transform politic, Parliaments and systems of elections into more gender sensitive and equal space for women participation and leadership.
Opening the training programme, the WFD Country Representative of Ghana, Dr David Appiah said the training would be used to identify and prioritise action for the promotion of women’s leadership, economic empowerment and political participation in decision making.
He said the WFD is very much committed to deepening democracy in countries with emerging democracies adding that his outfit has been working closely with the Parliament of Ghana to promote democracy and women’s participation in politics.
The coordinator of the training programme, Shanner O’Connell said African countries must emulate the examples of Rwanda and Ethiopia where majority of the people in government and Parliament are women who are exhibiting exemplary leadership.
She said when women are entrusted with the management of the nation’s resources they do very well and provide socio-economic justice to all citizens.
The Deputy Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Freda Prempeh who is also the MP for Tano North for her part said the NPP government is working hard to have the Affirmative Bill passed before the 2020 general elections.
She said if younger women and girls will like to go into politics and take up leadership position then it would be a progressive step for women in leadership position to mentor the young ones to be bold to take up leadership positions.
By Thomas Fosu Jnr