Jean Mensa
The dearth of women at the head of state institutions has consistently been a subject of discussions within gender inclined non-government organisations.
Those who wave off such topics as unimportant do so because of their male chauvinist instincts.
Time was it when some female gender promoting advocates proposed the setting aside of a certain number of seats for women in Parliament.
Successive administrations have failed to see this proposal gain traction.
Of late however, developments with women heading some organisations have taken place, giving a certain level of succor and hope that one day it shall be well.
Coming on the heels of the International Women’s Week was the appointment of two women to head the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) and the Ghana Prisons Service (GPS) respectively.
The development is the first in the two paramilitary security establishments. The Ghana Police Service registered the first female Inspector General of Police in the person of Elizabeth Mills-Robertson. Although it was short-lived, January 2009 to May 2009, it was a trailblazer relished by affirmative gender activists including us, and showed that indeed when the opportunities rear their heads, women would not be denied their due.
Male chauvinists in our midst should have a rethink about their unacceptable and primitive attitude to women.
We have moved on as a society and women have proven that their sex does not take away their cognitive abilities. They have proven in all spheres of human endeavours to perform as their male counterparts, their stress endurance level generally better than their male counterparts.
We are excited at the appointments and seize this opportunity to congratulate others before them in other areas who have raised high the banner of womanhood and provided them with the ‘we too can aspire as high’ spirit.
Coming to mind is the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC) whose effective leadership of the elections management body has stood her apart from others even in the face of tendentious machinations to detract her from her primary assignments.
Being arguably one of the most stressful assignments in democratic settings, especially in our part of the world, Ms. Jean Mensa has passed the baptism of fire stoked by male chauvinists.
We recommend her stoicism to the new commanders of the GNFS and the GPS. The positions are challenging and the freshly minted appointees should not expect their task to be a mere walk across the park.
Male chauvinists will seek to throw spanners in their works wherever they can. This and other bottlenecks should not deter them from rising to the occasions that could crop up.
Observers, especially those who lobbied for the positions but were unconsidered, will watch from their observation posts for the slightest of blunders so they can turn to social media with the mischievous ‘we told you so, there we go.’
We have confidence that you would deliver as the EC Chairperson and other females are doing.
President Mahama has been criticised for making good his promise of giving a certain percentage of positions to women in his cabinet.
He might have failed to walk his talk, giving such chances to women to prove their mettle is heartwarming and we doff our hats for the gesture.
For now, the performance of the two commanders will provide the country with the required proof that women too can command such agencies with flying colours when given the opportunity. Chief Fire Officer Daniella Mawusi Ntow Sarpong and Director-General of Prison Patience Baffoe-Bonnie arise and shine in a realm the males think belongs to them.