A Bono East region based Civil Society Organization (CSO) that advocates for the women empowerment and well-being have made a passionate appeal to His Excellency President Nana Addo Dankwah Akuffo Addo to maintain women already holding offices and appoint some many more. 

Addressing a Press Conference in Techiman, Mr Mustapha M. Yeboah, acting Executive Director and Project Coordinator for Center of Posterity Interest Organization (COPIO) noted that women form the majority of Ghana’s population thus (51.2%) yet their representation and participation at all levels is not encouraging and without their participation in the public discourse or decision-making process, it would be difficult for the country to progress.

He said Women empowerment and participation still remain a major challenge in the Bono- East Region as out of the 11 Municipal District Chief Executives in the Region only two thus (Nkoranza North and South) were women which fall short of the minimum UN recommended threshold of 30% and regrettably, NPP had no female Parliamentary candidate in the just-ended 2020 polls, therefore, he is appealing to the appointing authorities to maintain the women who were already at post and appoint more to serve in the government. 

Mr Mustapha again pleaded with the NPP government to improve on legal frameworks to give more opportunities for women to contest for Presidential, Parliamentary, Assembly and other positions as enshrined in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 5 which President Akuffo-Addo is the CO-Chair of the SDGs.

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Read Full Statement.

STATEMENT BY CENTRE OF POSTERITY INTEREST ORGANIZATION (COPIO) ON THE NEED FOR THE PRESIDENT TO RETAIN WOMEN CAUCUS IN BONO-EAST AND APPOINT MANY MORE.

We wish to extend our sincere congratulations to you on your re-election as President of the Republic of Ghana. We also congratulate the people of Ghana for demonstrating strong credentials in democratic consolidation. Your Excellency Mr President, Women empowerment and participation still remain a challenge in the Bono- East Region Ghana. Women empowerment and participation is perhaps the most serious threat to Ghana’s democracy because women form the majority of the population yet their representation and participation are not encouraging.  seeks to promote self-development within marginalized groups and communities irrespective of their religious affiliation, race, ethnicity or gender among others. We work with community and motivated individuals with the aim of building their capabilities to provide for themselves. Our vision is to enhance the living standards of the Ghanaian vulnerable.

COPIO is implementing a three-year project titled ‘creating access to social and economic opportunities among women by empowering them in various leadership and socio-economic activities in the Bono East Region of Ghana’; and this project is implemented concurrently with a six-month COVID-19 Response project aimed at providing accurate information to fight the spread of COVID-19 among vulnerable women in the project areas.

The project is being implemented by COPIO with both technical and funding support from Global Affairs Canada and Plan International Ghana.

This the reason why Centre of Posterity Interest Organization (COPIO) which is an alliance of rural community women who believe and practice women empowerment, and are motivated to help change the world by working on awareness, advocacy and support to individual women and girls, organizations and projects dedicated to the improvement of women and girls suffering from poverty, oppression, call and suggest to you to maintain the already existing women in the Bono-East Region and also appoint many more.

Women constitute more than half of Ghana’s population (51.2%). Without their participation in the public discourse or decision-making process, it would be difficult for the country to progress. Unfortunately, their participation at all levels of decision making is very low hence appointing more women will motivate other women (young and the old) to put themselves up for leadership positions.  

The absence of women in politics and governance can be attributed to male dominance which is a key aspect of the Ghanaian social system that is why we calling on you to appoint more women in your government. Women representation in governance is not encouraging as it still fell short of the minimum UN recommended threshold of 30 per cent requirement that was deemed satisfactory by activists at the Beijing Conference of 1995. We will also want to thank you for appointing two women as District Chief Executives (Nkoranza North and South) out of the 11 districts but it also regrettable to note that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has no female parliamentary candidate in the just-ended 2020 polls in the Bono East Region which leadership must address going forward as a country. We appeal to your office to maintain these women and appoint many more to serve in your government.

The woman’s role and status are recognizably inferior to those of the man in almost all aspects of social, political and economic life. Custom, law and even religion have been used to rationalize and perpetuate these differential roles to the extent that women themselves seem to have accepted and internalized them.

It is worth noting that the legal frameworks of the country give equal opportunities for both men and women to register to vote or to exercise their franchise, and to stand to be elected as presidential candidates, members of Parliament or Assembly representatives in both local and national government structures but unfortunately such fairness is not seen in the area of appointment. Mr President, the unequal playing field created by political parties always disadvantage women because they do not have the required resources or financial muscle for political campaigns and electoral processes coupled with an uninformed distribution of information especially at the family level.

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 5 also acknowledges this fact and therefore has a target 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” and since you are the CO-Chair of the SDGs we are reminding of this pledge.

Your excellency, the incidence and depth of poverty is a greater among women and disproportionately located in Bono East since most women are peasant farmers so appointing more women in your government will help close the economic gap and advance women issues.

Women’s lower economic and social status, multiple roles and lack of time limit their access to formal social services and general advancement.

COPIO which collaborates with rural community women who believe and practice women empowerment assures your government the needed support to achieve this goal, and also motivate to help change the world by working on awareness, advocacy, and support to individual women and girls, organizations, and projects dedicated to the improvement of women and girls suffering from poverty, oppression, abuse, and lack of opportunity. We believe that appointing more women in the Region and maintaining the already existing women will show government commitment to advancing women issues and discourse.

Mr President, we stress that going forward there should be legal frameworks that give equal opportunities for both men and women not to only register to vote, to exercise their franchise, but stand to be elected as Assembly Women, Parliamentarians respectively.

Thank You and May God Bless Our Home Land Ghana…………..

Mustapha M. Yeboah                                                            

Acting Executive Director and Project Coordinator

COPIO                                                                    

0246990191/0208356350                                          

[email protected]

King George, Bono East Correspondent