The Progressive Organisation for Women’s Advancement (POWA) has commended former President John Dramani Mahama for choosing a woman as his running mate for the 2020 general election.
The group said the nomination of Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang by the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to partner him for the December 7 polls was a tremendous personal achievement and an important leap for women’s political participation within the Party.
A statement issued and signed by Victoria Lakshmi Hamah, the Executive Director of POWA, and copied to the Ghana News Agency, said even though it was long overdue in the country’s political space, the nomination was still worth celebrating.
“Whereas POWA recognises that the singular nomination of Prof Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang does not necessarily translate into the immediate and broader aims and interests of Ghanaian women; it nonetheless represents a new level of commitment from the male dominated political elite of the NDC to the cause of affirmative action,” it said.
“This supports POWA’s position that women’s liberation struggles can only be achieved if it is linked to broader questions of citizenship rights – because all forms of oppression are interconnected.”
The group also condemned what it termed as “unfortunate ultra-reactionary narratives” that followed the announcement of Prof Opoku-Agyemang as the vice-presidential candidate of the NDC, saying such acts only retarded efforts at achieving equity and equality for all genders, classes and groups in society.
It said the Professor, like many women, had contributed significantly to the socio-economic development of the country through the delivery of her professional and public service duties.
The statement appealed to presidential candidates of the two major political parties to make development of women in politics a priority to ensure they occupied at least 30 per cent of ministerial and other high-level decision-making structures in their next government.
It assured the nominee of the group’s unflinching support to ensure that she succeeded in carrying out her mandate.
GNA
