As the world marks the International Women’s Day which falls on every 8th March on the theme ‘Pledge for Parity,’ the Northern Sector Advocacy and Awareness Creation Center (NORSAAC) has indicated that, it will soon break the long silence and marginalization of women chiefs in the region.
NORSAAC in commemorating the day, condemned women’s exclusion from most traditional council meetings and urged traditional authorities to reflect on this and make sure they perform their true functions as women chiefs.
NORSAAC also called on citizens, especially women, to reject political parties which do not have clear provisions for the advancement of women in their 2016 manifestos.
All political parties, it said, must include clear provisions in their manifestos on the passage of the Affirmative Action Bill into law with demonstrable actions to implement it when they assume power.
In a statement issued in Tamale and signed by NORSAAC’s Executive Director, Alhassan Mohammed Awal, the group demanded that political parties should demonstrate capabilities in ensuring gender parity in their decision making structures and positions with clear strategies of such in their manifestos, especially for 2016.
The statement also urged government to act now to ensure that the much awaited Legislative Instrument to operationalize the domestic violence act is addressed. While generally condemning governments and political parties for the little work done in ensuring gender parity in most sectors of development, it urges the general public to consider gender parity as an important development issue and reject political parties which will not convince them with their policies on how to ensure that the nation achieves gender parity.
The selection of the theme is strategic as it touches on the key sectors of development in Ghana. The International Women’s Day provides a platform to celebrate the achievements of women but also to remind individuals, organizations both private and public across the globe that gender equality and equity remain a significant challenge to the progressive realization of human rights for all.
Women’s empowerment is not an option for any state due largely to the endorsement of international protocols like the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women. The 1992 constitution of Ghana equally endorses the fundamental human rights of women and their equal status in our society.
At the end of the 2015 District Level Elections, 15 out of the 26 districts in the region did not have a single elected assembly woman. NORSAAC was devastated when the appointment list was released by various districts. The Mamprugu Mugduri district for instance, did not find it necessary enough to appoint a woman into the assembly.
” We keep wondering how they will be observing an important day like today with an assembly packed with men and deciding what should go to women? ” NORSAAC asked.
Four districts (Zabzugu, Gusheigu, Tolon and West Mamprusi) appointed only one woman into their assemblies as against a minimum of seven men. Central Gonja met the mark of 40% women appointment demanded by the current government which congratulated the district for the recognition of women and ensuring their active representation and participation
BELOW IS THE FULL STATEMENT OF NORSAAC
PRESS RELEASE TO MARK 2016 INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY
REJECT POLITICAL PARTIES THAT ARE NOT GENDER SENSITIVE
8th March, 2016
Today marks the International Women’s Day globally celebrated on the theme ‘Pledge for Parity’. The selection of the theme is strategic as it touches on the key sectors of development in Ghana. It must be made known that the International Women’s Day provides a platform to celebrate the achievements of women but also to remind individuals, organizations both private and public across the globe that gender equality and equity remain a significant challenge to the progressive realization of human rights for all. Women’s empowerment is not an option for any state because of the largely endorsement of international protocols like the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women. The 1992 constitution of Ghana equally endorses the fundamental human rights of women and their equal status in our society.
In observing this day, we provide you with evidence of the non-compliance of the state and the gradual public rejection of women especially when it comes to election of women to key decision making areas at local, regional and even at nation level.
We admit that the state has made some progress in promulgating laws to protect the rights of women in both formal and informal sectors; we have consistently faulted the state for the implementation of most of the laws and also its failure to provide the needed legislative Instrument to operationalize some of the acts. The Domestic Violence Act since its passage in 2007 has not received any legislative Instrument to facilitate its implementation.
Affirmative Action Bill has been discussed by various governments in the country but has never been passed. Quota systems pronounced by various political parties have never been backed by any laws and therefore have never been implemented by any government. The situation keeps the gap that exist between men and women in the country widening.
Using Northern region as an example of how citizens are taking the unfriendly policies and laws in Ghana to ensure gender parity, the organization draws your attention to the status of women in the most recent local and parliamentary elections. The region has been recorded as worst performing region in terms of women’s representation in district assemblies. At the end of the 2015 District Level Elections, 15 out of the 26 districts in the region did not have a single elected assembly woman. NORSAAC was devastated when appointment list was released by various districts and Mamprugu Mugduri District for instance did not find it necessary enough to appoint a woman into the assembly. We keep wondering how they will be observing an important day like today with an assembly packed with men and deciding what should go to women.
Four districts (Zabzugu, Gusheigu, Tolon and West Mamprusi) appointed only 1 woman into their assemblies as against a minimum of 7 men.
It must be put on record that Central Gonja met the mark of 40% women appointment demanded by the current government and we congratulate them for the recognition of women and ensuring their active representation and participation.
It was also sad to note that the two main political parties did not show true commitment to women’s representation during their recent primaries. Whiles NPP managed to field two women candidates, NDC failed to present a woman candidate from the 31 constituencies for the 2016 presidential and parliamentary elections.
We ask women in these political parties to stand up against these unacceptable discriminations and demand gender parity at all stages in their party’s activities.
NORSAAC also wishes to indicate that, it shall soon break the long silence and marginalization of women chiefs in the region. We condemned their exclusion in most traditional council meetings and urge the traditional authority to reflect on this and make sure they perform their true functions as women chiefs.
Whiles generally condemning governments and political parties for the little work done in ensuring gender parity in most sectors of development, we would like to urge the general public to consider gender parity as important development issue and reject political parties who will not convince that with their policies on how to ensure that the nation achieves gender parity.
As we celebrate the International Women’s Day in solidarity with the global theme “pledge for parity”, we demand that;
• Citizens especially women must reject political parties who do not have clear provisions for the advancement of women in their 2016 manifestos.
• All political parties must include clear provisions in their manifestoes on the passage of the Affirmative Action Bill into law with demonstrable actions to implement it when they assume power
• Political parties must demonstrate capabilities in ensuring gender parity in their decision making structures and positions with clear strategies of such in their manifestos especially for 2016
• Government must act now to ensure that the much awaited Legislative Instrument to operationalize the Domestic violence act is addressed
Signed:Date:
Alhassan Mohammed Awal
Executive Director – NORSAAC
