• Live Radio
  • Videos
  • About
  • Contact
  • Despite Media
Ghana Election 2020
  • Home
  • Local News
  • Politics
  • Showbiz
  • Sports
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • VIDEOS
  • Media
    • Videos
    • Audio
    • Live Radio
    • Photos
  • Election 2020
Local News
 
 
 
Home Politics Politics 201907

Insulting Female Politicians Will Soon Become A Crime - Adjoa Safo

01-Jul-2019
/ Politics, Politics
Email
Print
Comments 3
(3)
Comments
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter
 


Deputy Majority Leader and Chairperson of the Women Caucus of the Parliament of Ghana, Sarah Adwoa Safo, says the passage of the Affirmative Action Bill into an Act, will empower and increase women participation in decision making.

Adwoa Safo who is also the Minister of State in-Charge of Public Procurement, told participants at the Women Political Leaders (WPL) Summit 2019 in Tokyo, Japan that the ultimate goal of the proposed Affirmative Action Bill, is to bring about gender parity in the Ghanaian society.

“For instance, Clause 38 of the draft bill says that ‘A person who victimizes, obstructs or exerts undue influence and submits a female politician to verbal attack, among others, commits an offence’. Government is committed to passing this bill to bring about gender parity in the country,” she told the participants on Thursday, June 27.
 
Why Affirmative Action?

Ghana has a political system that encourages stereotyping of women and put men at the top.  The Affirmative Action Bill which has suffered a number of setbacks for about 10 years now, seeks to correct this and increase the participation of women in decision making. 

It provides for a 40 percent representation and participation of women in governance, public positions of power and decision making. The Bill is currently before the Parliament for consideration. The Member of Parliament (MP) for Dome-Kwabenya constituency expressed the belief that the Bill when passed into an Act, will change the status quo.
 
Ghana’s poor ranking

Ghana is currently ranked 145 out of 193 in the Inter-Parliamentary Union ranking on Women representation in Parliament across the world. Despite the country’s impressive democratic credentials, evidence from the previous elections indicates that the participation of women is very low. Out of 275 Members in the Parliament of Ghana, only 38 are women, representing a marginal 13.8 percent of the total number of Members of Parliament.

However, in the view of Adwoa Safo, Ghana has made marginal progress in the 2016 election by increasing the number of elected women from 30 (10.9%) in 2012 to 38 (13.8 percent), which still falls short of half of the 30 percent threshold mark set by the United Nations.

She, therefore, proposed that should there be the need to create new constituencies by the Electoral Commission (EC) of Ghana, all the political parties should agree to preserve constituencies for women.

This she believes will help bridge the gap for women representation in Parliament.

Efforts so far

She also told the Summit some measures successive governments have put in place to increase women participation in decision making and as well elaborated on the achievements of women in political and private sector leadership in Ghana. For instance, she said the government led by Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has nine women out of his nineteen Cabinet Ministers, representing 27 percent, but stressed that the number as promised by the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) “can still be better”.

That notwithstanding, in 2009, then President, John Evans Atta-Mills of blessed memory appointed the first female Speaker of the Parliament of Ghana, Joyce Adeline Bamford-Addo.

In the private sector, Adwoa Safo mentioned names such Yolanda Zoleka Cuba, CEO of Vodafone Ghana, Yvette Adounvo Atekpe, Regional MD, IS Internet Solutions among others whose achievements are worth emulating.

The MP was accompanied by Comfort Doyoe, Vice-Chair of the Women Caucus in Parliament and MP for Ada East constituency and Gifty Twum Ampofo, Deputy Minister for Education and MP for Abuakwa North Constituency.

About Women Political Leaders

The WPL, which is the first to be held in Asia started on Wednesday, June 26, 2019. About 400 participants, mostly female political leaders, from 87 countries gathered to discuss this year’s theme – “Taking action to advance society toward the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals”.

Japan’s Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, who opened the Summit via a pre-recorded video, renewed his commitment to empower women and improve gender parity around the globe.

He told participants that he will ask G20 leaders to commit to providing an additional 4 million young women with at least 12 years of high-quality education by 2020, and reducing the workforce participation gap between men and women by 25 percent by 2025.

WPL President, Silvana Koch-Mehrin on her part, reiterated the importance of women’s rights in relation to achieving the SDGs.

Source: JFM/Ghana

 

 
 

 

Comments ( 3 ): Post Your Comments >>

Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.
Featured Video
Previous Post

Gov't Approves ¢1.5b Funding For 14 Road Networks

Next Post

2 Nabbed For Double Registration

 
 

More Stories

"I’m Not Like Alan Who Is Gentle, Let Them Try..." - Ken Warns NPP Elections Committee
I'll Get More Votes In Muslim Community Than Bawumia - Ken Agyapong
NALAG Call For Collaboration To Establish Fixed Date For District Assembly Elections
Bawumia Campaign Team Denies Approaching Kennedy Agyapong For Running Mate Position
Wontumi’s Memo Waters Down Ken’s ‘Showdown’ Walk
Kumasi ‘Turns Down’ Ken Agyapong’s Showdown Walk
Reject Alan’s Empty Political Tactics; Nothing New To Offer Ghanaians- Afaglo
“Democracy In West Africa Is In Danger” – President Akufo-Addo To ECOWAS Parliament
'I Wish You Well' - Charles Owusu To Alan Kyerematen On His New Movement
Next Post

2 Nabbed For Double Registration

  Ghana Politcs

  • Politics
  • Election News
  • Parliament
  • 2020 Elections


 
 

Other Politics Stories

  • "I’m Not Like Alan Who Is Gentle, Let Them Try..." - Ken Warns NPP Elections Committee

  • I'll Get More Votes In Muslim Community Than Bawumia - Ken Agyapong

  • NALAG Call For Collaboration To Establish Fixed Date For District Assembly Elections

  • Bawumia Campaign Team Denies Approaching Kennedy Agyapong For Running Mate Position

  • Wontumi’s Memo Waters Down Ken’s ‘Showdown’ Walk

  • Kumasi ‘Turns Down’ Ken Agyapong’s Showdown Walk

  • Reject Alan’s Empty Political Tactics; Nothing New To Offer Ghanaians- Afaglo

  • “Democracy In West Africa Is In Danger” – President Akufo-Addo To ECOWAS Parliament

  • 'I Wish You Well' - Charles Owusu To Alan Kyerematen On His New Movement

  • I'm Really Sad; It Breaks My Heart - Gov't Spokesperson on Alan's Resignation

 

 
 

Popular Videos

Kokrokoo Discussion Segment On Peace 104.3 FM (26/09/2023)

Kokrokoo Discussion Segment On Peace 104.3 FM (28/09/2023)

Alan's Resignation From NPP - Allotey Jacobs Makes Another Confession

Peace Power Sports (26/09/2023)

Kokrokoo Live On Peace 104.3 FM (26/09/2023)

Kokrokoo Live On Peace 104.3 FM (27/09/2023)

Peace FM Online and Despite Media

peacefmonline.com offers its reading audience with a comprehensive online source for up-to-the-minute news about politics, business, entertainment and other issues in Ghana

Follow us on social media:

Category

  • Home
  • Local News
  • Politics
  • Showbiz
  • Sports
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Trivia
  • Foreign
  • Audio
  • Photos
  • Videos
  • Elections
Decision Time
Ghana Election 2020 2016 Elections
Services
Live Radio Audio on Demand Ghana Elections Advertise with Us
Useful Links
Despite Media About Us Contact Us Feedback Form Terms and Conditions Privacy
Our Brands
Despite Media UTV Peace FM Okay FM Hello FM Neat FM Peacefmonline
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Contact
  • Privacy

© 2020 Peacefmonline.com - An online portal owned and managed by Despite Media

  • Home
  • Local News
  • Politics
  • Showbiz
  • Sports
  • Business
  • Articles
  • Trivia
  • Foreign
  • Live Radio
  • Photos
  • Videos
  • Audio
  • Election 2020

© 2020 Peacefmonline.com - An online portal owned and managed by Despite Media