Forum on Gender Equality & Women's Rights ask EC to Give Specific Date for District Assembly Elections


Participants at a forum in Accra on Gender Equality and Women's rights are asking the electoral commission to come out with a specific date for the holding of District Assembly Elections (DAE).

A specific date according to the forum, will provide citizens  ample time for sensitization and education on the issues and also allow candidates especially women to prepare adequately to take up more elective positions. 

At the last District Assembly Elections, only 10 percent of women who contested the elections got elected. 

It is against this backdrop that the Gender Studies and Human Rights Documentation Centre convened stakeholders to discuss and develop strategies which will ensure increased participation and representation of women in decision making. 

Executive Director of the centre, Dorcas Coker Appaih pointed out that there are a lots of legal instruments that back women on issues relation to their rights, but implementation is always the hurdle.
 
For her part, Dr. Rose Mensah -Kutin of ABANTU for Development says women are willing to continue promoting issue about their right, but all must support in sustaining the campaign to place more women in decision making spaces.
 
The National Coordinator for Women in Law and Development, Bernice Sam  who engaged the forum on the topic: Proactive Engagement to ensure Women's Participation in Decision Making at the local level looks forward to a more proactive action on the part of all in supporting women into elected positions.


GBC