Accra, Feb. 11, GNA – The Gender Centre for Empowering Development (GenCED) has asked young women to be politically conscious and contribute to the development of the country.
The Centre, a women’s rights advocacy with focus on helping increase women’s participation in decision-making and in governance’s process, charged young women to shrug off stigmatisation and get involved in the political space.
Madam Esther Tawiah, the Executive Director of GenCED, was speaking at the opening of the third session of the West Africa Young Women in Politics Forum in Accra.
The two-day forum was on the theme: “Accelerating the growth of young women within Political Parties in West Africa.”
It brought together about 20 participants, mostly young women from Ghana and Nigeria to discuss how young women effectively engaged in political party activities and ascertain their presence, existing structures in political parties within the sub-region, to explore gaps in political party structures regarding the political growth of young women.
Ms Tawiah called for more stakeholder involvement in sensitising the public, especially young women with the passion of engaging in political party activities and how to get to the highest level against all forms of violence and perceptions that young women in politics were for sexual objectification.
Ms Akosua Manu, Deputy CEO of National Youth Authority, said women should push beyond their limitations and do away with stigmatisation, also pay attention to current issues and get involved in decision making with intelligent contributions.
Mrs Joyce Bawa Mogtari, Presidential Aid for former President John Dramani Mahama urged women not to give up in the struggle for leadership roles.
“We, as women need to knock harder on the door…”
Ms Chikas Kumle, a Politician from Nigeria, advised urged young women in politics to be “aggressive because politics is a battlefield, and you need to fight for every space.”
She continued that, “fighting for a position is not about fashion but intelligence…Excuses should never part of you because in politics any excuse you give can be used against you, especially with the notion of being a married woman. I am a mother and I have to take care of my family and so on and be conscious of the grounds.”
GNA