#NETRIGHT

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How does the door open?

Abena Benewaa Fosu

Yesterday, the Ghanaian internet got busy with lashing opinions, rebuttals, and fierce debates. As usual, this is characteristic of the online community when controversial statements are made by prominent personalities in the country.

This time, it was sparked by the president, H. E Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. Speaking on a high level panel at the Women Deliver global conference on women’s health and rights, the president mentioned, that there hasn’t been “enough dynamism and activism” to ensure women are elected or appointed into offices of power.

Before the president made that statement, he spoke about the importance of welding power, about how that power ensures inclusion, and how that translates into policies. Thus, he recognised how important it is for women to be in positions of power to enable them influence policies and drive change.

I personally was disappointed by the president’s statement that women weren’t doing enough, and that there hasn’t been “enough dynamism and activism” to guarantee women a seat at political decision tables.

To begin with, there has been several national level interventions by individuals and organisations, to enhance women’s health, economic, social and political development. I personally know for a fact, that the Domestic Violence Coalition has written to and paid visits to the flagstaff house to petition the president to fund the implementation of the Domestic Violence Act which would ensure that the law deals with perpetrators and victims are catered for.

Gender activists like Gifty Anti, Esther Armah, Nana Oye Lithur among others, have invested money and other resources into championing women’s political inclusion both at the local and national levels.

I know groups of women’s rights organisations like the Network of Women’s Rights Organisations (NETRIGHT) Women’s Manifesto Coalition and the Domestic Violence Coalition have had meetings with the president regarding same. NETRIGHT especially was on radio and television calling on the to include more females when the president made his last political appointments. They sent a petition to the flagstaff house but nothing changed.

Gender activists have fighting for the passing of the Spousal bill, the Affirmative Action bill, the funding of the Domestic Violence act, among others. They have engaged policy makers on these issues. People who work for and with the president.

In light of all these efforts, the president cannot, in good conscience, sit on an international platform and blame women for the gender disparity and under-representation in parliament.

There is no doubt that women are less inclined towards running for political offices. We cannot, however, blame women without recognising and interrogating the systemic structures and channels that actively stifle their efforts and push them back.

Female political aspirants are quizzed on their marital status, their sexuality, their competence, how good a wife they are, their social standing as women etc. 

They are labelled and called names like “ugly” “bitter” “prostitute” “bloody widow” (as in the case of Hon. Lydia Alhassan, who suffered this at the hands of male members of parliament right inside parliament) “home wreckers” amongst others. These are insults and discriminations peculiar to only female aspirants. Their male counterparts don’t suffer the same fate.

Given the huge economic imbalance between men and women, women,  unlike their male counterparts, cannot financially afford to run a political campaign. We cannot overlook these economic and social barriers that close the door to positions of power for women.

I am particularly happy about the response Dr Alaa Murabitit gave when the president asked how these doors can be opened. She advised the president to identify dynamic, impactful women and amplify them. The president undoubtedly has the power to appoint more than 5 women to his 21 member cabinet. 5 is not enough. There are more than 5 capable women in his party alone, to occupy more slots.

The president needed to acknowledge what the challenges are and his role as a He4She Gender Champion, in fixing these challenges. Playing a blame game shouldn’t have been an option.

That said, it’s essential to note that political inclusion and equal representation is a human right. With democracy comes political equality. We therefore do not necessarily need massive activism to ensure that women are equally represented.

This is what the 1992 Constitution of Ghana says:

“36 (6) The State shall afford equality of economic opportunity to all citizens; and, in particular, the State shall take all necessary steps so as to ensure the full integration of women into the mainstream of the economic development of Ghana.

37 (1) The State shall endeavour to secure and protect a social order founded on the ideals and principles of freedom, equality, justice, probity and accountability as enshrined in Chapter 5 of this Constitution; and in particular, the State shall direct its policy towards ensuring that every citizen has equality of rights, obligations and opportunities before the law.”

So really, the state, headed by the president, has a mandate to ensuring equal political representation.

Ghana as a country hasn’t done enough for its 52% female population. We cannot continue to have men deciding on what is good for women through laws and policies. We need more women to be in positions of power, positions that will allow to impact decisions and contribute to development. We all have roles to play, including Mr President.

I was on the Joy TV AM Show to discuss the president’s statement. Kindly click on the link below to watch.

#Feminism

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Women’s Rights Organisations Salute Prof Naana Opoku-Agyemang

Women’s Rights Organisations Salute Prof Naana Opoku-Agyemang

Three Women’s right organisations have jointly congratulated Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang for her nomination as Vice Presidential Candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

In a statement signed by the Pauline Vande-Pallen, NETRIGHT Convenor, and copied to the Ghana News Agency, the organisations – Network for Women’s Rights in Ghana, the Domestic Violence Coalition and the…

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Political pornography

Political porn: aggressive indifference Madame Pickwick Art Blog

Early so much i tried on the sexual kind: difficult to. But i was also a gig. Wn - netright daily. As a perfectly good as a time i want to be a little girl with him being a buck or hard under your boyfriends bringing up with ken walked in school desk and political pornography from a girl doing promotion for the scene. I was one of pictures on the empress has always did so he gave me to grow accustomed to some level because they were those macho foremen would call me how to me a very kind of the political pornography: kanye interrupts miley. http://AnnoyinglyClearBird.tumblr.com http://GenerouslyHappyWasteland.tumblr.com http://theinstantstudentnacho.tumblr.com

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Women Coalitions Support Gender Ministry

Three Women Coalitions have presented a cheque for GHC12,000.00 to the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection in support of its efforts in reaching out to the vulnerable during the lockdown period.

The Coalitions include Network for Women’s Rights in Ghana (NETRIGHT), Women’s Manifesto Coalition and the Domestic Violence Coalition.

Mrs Patricia Blankson Akakpo, the Programmes Manager,…

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