The Greater Accra Regional Ladies’ Parliament of the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) has been inaugurated in Accra as a way of providing a platform for grooming them into leadership positions.
The Regional Ladies’ Caucus, which houses 80 female students from tertiary institutions in Greater Accra, both public and private, would also inculcate democratic values and principles of good governance in them.
The inauguration, which was on the theme “The Empowered Woman in Transformational Leadership,” was held in Accra on Wednesday.
Madam Sedina Tamakloe Attionu, Acting National Coordinator of the National Youth Authority, who represented the Minister for Youth and Sports Mr Elvis Affriyie – Ankrah,, indicated that the case for women’s participation has gained further momentum in politics and governance.
She said women’s participation in national governance has been established at the highest level of international policy on human rights, equality and equity.
She pointed out that one area that had been a bane on the country’s democratic dispensation in the current Republic was under-representation of women in Ghana’s political Institutions such as Parliament and District Assemblies where women currently occupy 19 out of 230 seats in parliament.
She noted that the proportion of seats held by women in parliament was an indicator for monitoring the country’s progress on the Millennium Development Goals, yet the percentage of national governance in West Africa remained below the UN minimum target of 30 percent.
“This is because of some aspects of Ghanaian culture and social dynamics, limited understanding of the political system and processes by some women did not help much, thus they were prevented them from engaging in political activities and offering themselves up for leadership positions” she added.
She said interventions by Government and development partners aimed at addressing the imbalance seemed too close to elections to make the needed impacts therefore efforts and progress remained sketchy.
Madam Tamakloe Attionu said the country has chalked major successes in her democratic processes particularly since the inception of the 1992 constitution and this had placed Ghana as one of the big democracies in Africa and the world.
She said the initiative by Women’s Commission of NUGS to establish Regional Ladies’ Parliament in each of the ten Regions in tertiary institutions in the country was commendable.
Miss Mary Akorlie, NUGS Women’s Commissioner and Majority Leader of the Ladies’ Parliament pointed out that the initiative was to contribute immensely to the country’s development.
She said the Ladies’ Parliament, which is affiliated to the Women Caucus of Parliament was non partisan and would soon be affiliated to ECOWAS and Youth Parliament, and that the Ashanti and Volta Regional parliament would be inaugurated before the end of third quarter of 2013.
She charged Members not to look at what they could gain from being part of the process but what to contribute to make Ghana better and commended the Ministry of Youth and Sports, and Parliament for the support given them.
Mr Hackman Owusu – Agyeman, Former Member of Parliament swore in Miss Regina Amegah as Speaker or High Commissioner while Miss Mary Akorlie and Abena Boateng are Majority and Minority leaders respectively.
A candle of “Flame of Courage and Excellence” was lit as a way of charging them in their leadership roles.