Advocacy groups have urged President John Dramani Mahama to reject the male-only shortlist of MDCE nominees from the Upper West Region. This call emphasizes the importance of including women to meet a promised 30% representation in leadership roles. The coalition believes this exclusion contradicts Mahama’s earlier commitments to gender equality, and they advocate for immediate corrective measures to foster women’s participation in governance.
President John Dramani Mahama has been urged to reject the Municipal and District Chief Executive (MDCE) nominees from the Upper West Region due to the total exclusion of women from the shortlist. The Affirmative Action Coalition, a group advocating for gender equality, made this plea during a press conference in Wa, stressing the need for intentional appointments of qualified women to support the government’s agenda. They emphasized that the current list undermines Mahama’s commitment to achieving 30% women representation in leadership roles.
The MDCE Vetting Committee revealed 33 shortlisted candidates for MDCE positions, all of whom are men, despite eight women applying. Lydia Darlington Fordjuor, the Coalition’s leader, praised Mahama for his previous pledge to increase female representation within his administration. She highlighted that this omission does not align with his promise, outlined in the NDC 2024 Election Manifesto, which aims to fulfill the Affirmative Action Law’s social contract.
Fordjuor, also the Gender Equality and Social Inclusion Lead with Community Development Alliance, warned that failing to include women in these appointments could hinder the realization of the promise made to promote gender equity. The Coalition advised that at least four of the eleven MDCE roles in the Upper West Region should be occupied by women. They also called on Vice-President Professor Naan Jane Opoku-Agyemang to advocate for meeting the 30% representation goal across all regions.
The group pointed out that societal, cultural, and religious norms have historically hindered women’s participation in leadership roles. They conveyed that it is pivotal to dismantle these barriers to create equitable opportunities for women. The overarching sentiment from the community is one of discontent over the exclusion of women from leadership nominations, with many perceiving it as a systemic injustice against women in the Upper West Region.
This article discusses the recent call by the Affirmative Action Coalition in Ghana for President Mahama to reject a shortlist of nominees for Municipal and District Chief Executive (MDCE) roles, which failed to include women. The coalition is concerned that the lack of female representation contradicts Mahama’s commitments made during his campaign to ensure gender parity in governance, specifically noting the goal of including at least 30% women in his administration. The issue highlights broader societal challenges faced by women in leadership positions in Ghana, particularly in the Upper West Region.
The omission of women from the MDCE nominations in the Upper West Region has led to significant outcry from advocacy groups. The Affirmative Action Coalition is calling for more intentional efforts from the government to ensure that women are represented in leadership positions, consistent with the commitments made by President Mahama. The push for gender equity in political representation underscores the need to confront and dismantle systemic barriers that women face in Ghana.
Original Source: gna.org.gh
