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.

Update on Ekiti State Elections

6th May 2009

Dear Sisters

I would like to thank you all for your messages of support, concern and solidarity.

What happened in Ekiti State last night was an unspeakable atrocity. Before our eyes, the Resident Electoral Officer for Ekiti State, Mrs Ayoka Adebayo admitted election figures from a local government area where results were not lawfully collated, an issue over which she resigned last week. In her resignation letter she claims she was being forced to accept illegal votes, something she was not prepared to do because it would be against her Christian conscience. Her resignation was not accepted, and she agreed to return to Ekiti to complete the election provided she did so without external pressure. To our total shock and dismay, she sat here last night and produced the same results she herself had said were illegal. With these 15,000 unlawfully cast votes, the ruling party has stolen the election again.

Kayode, his Deputy and I are fine. We will continue the struggle until justice is done. What has happened goes beyond Ekiti State. We know it finds resonance in many other Nigerian States and African countries as well. As a feminist activist, my heart bleeds for yet another woman who has allowed herself to be used as another cog in the wheels of democracy. This serves as another lesson in how, where and why we recruit women into leadership.

Once again many thanks to you all.

Aluta Continua!

Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi

Happy International Women's Day from the International Colloquium

Greetings from the International Colloquium in Liberia!

Today I have met (okay seen, sometimes from a distance) many powerful women. President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf of Liberia, President Talya Halonen of Finland, the Governor-General of Canada (who is also black!), Baroness Amos, Mary Robinson the former President of Ireland...I could go on and on.It has been very inspiring to be in the presence of many of these women who are all affirming the same position. Women's leadership should be encouraged, nurtured and developed for the benefit of the whole world.

AWDF also held our grand debate on the motion "We have wasted our time getting women into decision-making positions. They have not made a difference". Aargh! you can imagine the liveliness of the debate. The conclusion reached by the moderator Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi, Executive Director of AWDF was that "We have not wasted our time getting women into decision making positions BUT some women have wasted our time".

What are your thoughts? Do women leaders make a difference? What kind of support do you think the women's movement need to provide women in politics?

There were no rubber bullets for women: Women in politics

Today I interviewed a former rebel fighter and member of parliament from Zimabawe, Margaret Dongo; interviewed Hon Varbah Gayflor, Liberia's Minister of Gender and Development and rounded up my day by interviewing Justine Namusooko, a student politician and aspiring future MP. Watch out for these interviews in forthcoming e-newsletters and a publication on African women leaders.

My favourite quote for the day probably came from Margaret Dongo. In describing the military training she underwent as a rebel/freedom fighter she said "there were no rubber bullets for the women". Consequently women underwent the same military training that men had. It was a big shock to her when post independence women were not "power sharing" with men.

With love from Liberia

Nana Sekyiamah
Programme Officer
Fundraising & Communications

Ghana votes 2008: All roads lead to Tain

Hmmm, the current political situation in Ghana is very tricky at the moment. If you read this blog regularly you will know that we (the AWDF staff) held a 'blog off' on our last day at work. As moderator of this blog, I can tell you that I have never had so many postings submitted in one day. Politics is obviously a subject that arouses all our passions.

At the moment we in Ghana are in a 'wait and see' mode. The EC held a press conference about an hour ago and at the moment we still do not have a winner. The NDC has a tiny lead but that can change depending on the results of the Tain constituency. Apparently the Tain Consitituency were not able to vote on the 28th and so will be voting this coming Friday. I can just see all the political parties getting in their 4 x 4s and heading straight to Tain. There have also been allegations of 'irregularities' by both parties and the EC is asking both parties to provide evidence so they can investigate. I am wondering how long this process is going to drag on. I am tired already, I have been dreaming of the elections and feeling so stressed wondering what is going to happen. The sad thing is no party is going to be satisfied whatever the outcomes are. The country is clearly polarised between the two parties and for whoever emerges victorious close to 50% of the population will be unhappy. I have been totally 'against' the power sharing deals that have taken place on the African continent this year but have found myself wondering whether in this particular context there are genuine grounds for power sharing. What are your thoughts?

Nana Sekyiamah
Programme Officer
Fundraising & Communications

WE ARE MOVING FORWARD

The political atmosphere in the country is as charged as ever. Even non political people such as myself are taking a stand and in fact this is good for the political maturity of the nation. I am not a registered member of any political party and I do not see myself bearing a party card in the near future. But times dictates that my voice be heard. Times require that I no longer keep quiet and allow those who know nothing about my needs to make and impose a decision on me. Times demand that I make my own selfish needs plain. A desire to see that I live in a free and prosperous nation. A desire to see my children get the best of education here in this dear mother land called Ghana. A desire to see that my extended family who live in the villages of Suhum in those family cocoa farm lands get free and effective health care. A desire to see that maternal mortality is reduced and child survival rates are increased. A desire to see that money will not be a stumbling block for that financially challenged but brilliant young lady to attain higher education. A desire to see that I do not ever ever have to queue up to buy fuel to run my good old faithful jalopy. These are times to speak up and I encourage all freedom loving Ghanaians to speak up. I say VOTE FOR NANA AKUFFO ADDO, VOTE for the NPP. A vote for Nana Akuffo Addo means a vote for free secondary education; A vote for Nana Akuffo Addo means a vibrant economy; A vote for Nana Akuffo Addo means A better health system; A vote for Nana Akuffo Addo means freedom of Speech (Very very important); A vote for Nana Akuffo Addo means WE ARE MOVING FORWARD.

Please GHANAIANS help us all MOVE FORWARD. Please remember to exercise your franchise on December 28, 2008. Vote Nana Akuffo Addo; Vote for real progress. WE HAVE TO MOVE FORWARD

Beatrice Boakye-Yiadom
Acting Grants Manager