Tema, March 14, GNA — Hajia Hamdatu Ibrahim, the former Chairperson of the Convention People’s Party (CPP) has described women’s representation in parliament as a key democratic function necessary to strengthen the tenets of good governance in the country.
She said to build a strong and sustainable democracy, “women must be encouraged, empowered, and supported through the political structures backed with a solid commitment from the political parties to ensure that women contest and win parliamentary seats.”
Hajia Ibrahim stated at the Ghana News Agency Tema Regional Office’s gender advocacy platform roll-out to engage prominent gender advocates and women from all spheres to address gender issues.
Speaking on the 2022 International Women’s Day global theme: “Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow,” Hajia Ibrahim said there is sufficient reasonable evidence supporting the assertion that women have the potential to perform extremely well at whatever level.
The Former CPP Chairperson explained that “Women’s participation in politics helps advance gender equality and affects both the range of policy issues that get considered and the types of solution that are proposed.”
“There is strong evidence that as more women are elected to office, there is a corollary increase in policymaking that emphasizes quality of life and reflects the priorities of families, women, ethnic and racial minorities,” she said.
Hajia Ibrahim also indicated that women’s political participation results in tangible gains for democracy including greater responsiveness to citizen needs, increased cooperation across party and ethnic lines, for a sustainable future.
She stated that gender stereotypes undermine women’s roles in public life, adding that, the norms that keep women out of politics also shape how people vote and how women should spend their time and behave, generating practical constraints to their participation in public and political life.
She entreated all political parties and stakeholders to adopt a proactive approach that tackles the underlying and interconnected barriers that women face in getting nominated for elected office as well as conducting a successful campaign.
GNA