Grantee Focus: WILDAF petitions President Mills

Bernice Sam, National Coordinator of WILDAF Ghana shared with AWDF this update on WILDAF's efforts to secure representation of women in decision-making positions in Ghana

Accra, May 28, - Women in Law and Development in Africa (WILDAF) Ghana on Thursday petitioned President John Evans Atta Mills to constitute Affirmative Action Policy Committee by the end of 2009 and take steps to implement its recommendations. It also urged the Government to take steps to achieve the campaign promise of 40 per cent representation of women in decision-making positions by 2012.

Addressing a press conference in Accra to highlight the reasons for petitioning President Mills, Ms Bernice Sam, National Programmes Coordinator of WILDAF, said the suggestion was one the ways that the Government could use to redeem the promise.

"On the 2010 District Assembly Elections and appointments, we call on Government to develop a policy that half of the 30 per cent quota for appointees will be women. Additionally there should be concrete measures - public awareness; capacity building and support for campaigns - to encourage and support women, who contest the District Assembly Elections," Ms Sam said.

She said figures on nominated and appointed women into public and political offices were worrying, adding that out of 75 Ministers and Deputy Ministers only 15, representing 20 per cent were women. "Three out of a total of 25-Member Council of State are women; on a 10-member Economic Advisory Council, none is a women; Police Council has only one woman out of 11 and out of 170 nominated Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives only 11 are women. Two out of that have lost. One awaits her fate in Shama District," she said. Ms Sam said the reminder became necessary because some where in February this year, WILDAF met the Government and presented a directory with lists of qualified women, who were in top positions and whose rich potentials could be tapped for national development.

Earlier, the group comprising women groups from Dansoman; Abokobi; Korle-Gonno; Kpobiman, among other areas, had planned a peaceful march to the Castle, Osu, to present the petition to President Mills but later had to postpone it because they claimed some media houses were branding their action as politically motivated.

"WILDAF is not a political party and would not be influenced by any political party but would continue to fight the cause of Ghanaian women," Ms Sam said.

They carried placards some of which read; "We know Politics"; "You promised us 40 per cent - What happened"; "Don't pay lip service to 40 per cent"; "Democracy is about equity" and "What happened to Acting IGP's appointment?" However, they sent a six-member delegation to present their petition to the Deputy Chief of Staff, Valerie Sawyer, who promised to deliver the petition to President Mills who is currently touring the Upper East Region. The Minister of Women and Children's Affair, Ms Sena Akua Dansua; Minister of Information, Ms Zita Okaikoe; the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Mrs Betty Moulds Iddrisu and some other women in government were present, when the petition was handed over, Ms Sam said.