By Aukaisha Abdullai
Tamale, Dec 03, GNA – Voices of Women and Children with Disabilities in Ghana (VOWACGHANA) has petitioned the NPP, the NDC and the Tamale Metropolitan Assembly (TaMA) to promote the participation of women and persons with disabilities in governance.
The petition, which was presented in Tamale as part of the celebration of International Day of Persons with disabilities, urged the NPP, NDC and TaMA to target and include women with disabilities in their leadership structure both at local and national levels.
It also demanded that, District Assemblies Common Fund should be released to benefit women and children with disabilities, government should nominate at least five per cent of females with disabilities of the 30% appointees to the district assembly level, and all children with disabilities of school going age should have access to education with the needed support as enshrined in the Inclusive Education Policy.
Madam Juliana Efia Mahmood, Acting Executive Director, Voices of Women and Children with Disabilities and Care Givers of Children with Disabilities in Ghana, said women and children with
disabilities were always excluded and not consciously targeted for leadership positions and decision-making processes even though they constituted a majority within the disability population.
Mr Mahamadu Salam, Deputy Director for Special Duties for the NDC in the Northern Region, assured VOWACGHANA that its demands were captured in the party’s manifesto, which would be implemented if it won the elections.
He said, “We have made it clear in our manifesto that persons with disabilities will enjoy free tertiary education, the 3% District Assemblies Common Fund allocated to persons with disabilities will also be increased to 5% and it will be paid upfront.”
GNA