Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) platform on good governance in northern region has advised women aspirants not to allow negative comments made against them by their male counterparts dampen their spirit of becoming assembly persons or members of parliament.
The CSOs said personal attacks on women aspiring to be elected either into parliament or district assembly are not healthy practices in Ghana’s democratic dispensation and must be stop.
The CSOs comments follow several complaints by aspiring assembly women in this year’s district level elections about derogatory remarks on women.
Some of the women say how to take care of their husbands has brought to forth by their male competitors which has nothing to do with community development and wondered why household issues will be turned to campaign.
But CSOs is encouraging the women to remain focused and not to allow the unwarranted attacks to stifle their efforts.
Governance Programs Director of IBIS-Ghana, Emmanuel Abeliwine told the women that insults and demands of money have become part and parcel of Ghanaian electoral process because presidential and parliamentary elections are characterized with money and insult and it has trickled down to local level elections.
He advised the women aspirants to do self-assessment and remain focused on their aims of bringing the needed development to the communities.
Mr Abeliwine said IBIS has taken note of people accusing women of receiving monies from CSOs and will soon clarify the nature of their support to women vying to be elected.
The women were also advised to tailor their campaign messages on basic issues affecting every member in the community instead of talking about domestic roles and they being everyone's mother.
In an interview with Zaa News, Programs Officer of Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) Abigail Larbi explained that the training was to beef up the knowledge and skills of women in how to effectively engage the media to enhance their visibility ahead of the assembly elections.
The refresher training was a prelude to 2014 training for 60 aspiring assembly women and some selected Radio station in the three regions of the north.
The media foundation for West Africa reminded aspiring women that the people will not vote for them because they are women but because of good campaign messages and what they are capable of doing.
Responding allegation of CSOs given out physical cash to women aspirants, Abigail stated emphatically that CSOs only build the capacity of aspirants and guide them on the local governance process.
IBIS-Ghana is supporting Media Foundation for West Africa to train some selected aspiring women in effective media engagement skills for 2015 district level elections which may come off in August2015.
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