The National Association of Local Authorities of Ghana (NALAG) has called on Ghanaian voters and the general public vote massively for women in the upcoming District Level Elections (DLE) scheduled for Tuesday December 19, 2023.
The association also appealed to the Electoral Commission (EC), National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), Ministries, Departments, Agencies, Metropolitan, Municipal, District Assemblies (MMDAs), Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and other stakeholders to “within these few days vigorously campaign to increase voter turnout because it is better late than never”.
At a press conference in Accra on Thursday December 14, the President of NALAG, Eric Nana Agyemang Prempeh, encouraged eligible voters to come out in their numbers to vote for more “courageous and competent women” who will be contesting in the DLE.
The conference which forms part of a six-year project known as “Partnership for Municipal Innovation — Women in Local Leadership (PMI-WILL)” with support from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) is aimed at making a passionate appeal to Ghanaians of voting age to fully participate in the upcoming DLE and most importantly vote massively for more women representation.
He noted that, over the years, the DLE has recorded low patronage because the education and sensitization on the election has not been encouraging.
According to Nana Prempah, addressing the challenges of low representation of women in decision-making at the local level is necessary as it has a negative impact on the nation’s quest to promote democracy, gender equality and popular participation at the grass root level.
“Evidence suggests that when women are elected to leadership positions, they can make a difference for girls and women and strongly impact legislation.
Women are often more likely to pursue inclusive policies and respond to constituent concerns” he further suggested.
Mr. Prempeh explained that to increase women’s participation at the local level of governance, NALAG has partnered with FCM to build the capacity of over 300 women under the PMI-WILL project in the country.
Other beneficiary countries under the project are Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Benin and Zambia.
He also mentioned that the project has been implemented in some five regions in Ghana. They are Greater Accra, Northern, Upper West Region, Bono East and the Eastern Region.
He therefore called on President Akufo-Addo to ensure a “gender-friendly and unbiased representation” in the development agenda by appointing more women to shore up the numbers which would be elected in the upcoming district level polls.
A 23-page hand book produced jointly by NALAG and FCM to guide women candidates contesting in local level elections in Ghana was unveiled during the press conference.
