Executive Director of The Ark Foundation Ghana, Angela Dwamena Aboagye, has called for the inclusion of more women in government, particularly in top positions such as ministers and chief executives.
She argued that the criteria set by the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) for shortlisting and approving Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) are unfriendly to women.
“Regarding women’s inclusion, the conversation has not been very strong,” she said on JoyNews’ The Probe with Emefa Apawu on Sunday, February 9.
“If you look at the criteria put out by the NDC for selecting MMDCEs, you’ll find that it can almost immediately eliminate women—not because we want to offer them special treatment, but because we must be conscious of the cultural conditioning and structures that limit them.
“If you are looking for party cards and people actively involved in party politics at that level, you are unlikely to find many women. Not because they don’t want to participate, but because of the limitations society places on them,” she stressed.
Regarding the president’s promise of 60 ministers of state, she expressed concern: “You will also see the same issue with the 30% appointment target. If I look at the criteria again, it might become very limiting for women, as set out by the NDC.”
She emphasised that the NDC has introduced many criteria for selecting officials, but these criteria are unlikely to favour greater female participation in government. “Those limitations may exclude many capable women,” she said.
The gender activist also voiced her frustration with the Council of State election, noting the lack of women in the race, which she believes is concerning.
So far, President Mahama has appointed 56 individuals to various ministerial positions. He recently announced that he will release the names of the remaining four ministers in the coming days.
A few chief executives and directors have also been appointed to key state institutions, but the number of women in these roles remains low.
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