Political Participation & Leadership
The Network for Women?s Rights in Ghana (NETRIGHT) has taken note of the significant inroads women have made into the leadership of the Convention People's Party (CPP).
NETRIGHT congratulates Samia Yaaba Nkrumah, the newly elected National Chairperson of the party; Susan Adu Amankwah, First Vice Chairperson; Rodaline Imoro-Ayarna, Second Vice Chairperson and Mary Ankomah Boakye Boateng, National Women's Organiser on braving the storm and making Ghanaian women proud. We say Ayekoo for your achievement!!!?
For NETRIGHT the outcome of the just ended Delegates Congress is significant in that the party again chalks a remarkable first in terms of women?s participation in multi-party politics.
NETRIGHT is aware of the enormous contribution of women in securing the CPP as a formidable party in Ghana?s first republic. As the political party that led Ghana to independence, the CPP showed its sensitivity to gendered cultural norms that hindered women?s participation in political leadership through affirmative action.
We recall the provisions, under the first president Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, to secure greater female participation in parliament. By this action, women?s contribution to the nationalist struggle was harnessed into a collective effort towards nation building.
We believe that this historic accomplishment of the CPP?s Delegates? Congress will mark the beginning of a new era in Ghana where women make still deeper in-roads into high political office to bring to bear greater gender sensitivity to national developmental discourse. As the world financial crisis deepens, it has become clear that the present neo-liberal development framework has little to offer and the call for alternatives heightens. We recognise that having women in high office is but a step in the struggle towards gender equality which should enhance national development discourse and effort.
We are also mindful of the CPP?s bend towards greater social democracy and are hopeful that having voted so many women into high office the needed gender, better still, social focus on national policy will gain greater currency in the party?s policies.
We wish to commend the membership of the CPP for the trust and confidence reposed in women. It is our hope that other political parties, namely; the National Democratic Congress (NDC), the New Patriotic Party (NPP), the Great Consolidated People?s Party (GCPP), will derive lessons from the CPP. We expect that they will put in place the necessary structures to deepen women?s participation in Ghanaian politics beyond the success chalked by the CPP so as to ensure gender equality in the political leadership of the parties and government.
Once again, we say CONGRATULATIONS to Honourable Samia Yaaba Nkrumah, first female Chairperson of a political party in the history of Ghana's politics.