Mrs. Sarah Akrofi- Quarcoo, President of Women in Broadcasting, on Thursday urged the media to highlight women�s experiences of governance and gender sensitivities to increase women participation in governance.
�Women should continue to have a platform to deliberate on their concerns in an open and transparent atmosphere in order to obtain policy
responses that would impact positively on the gender equality issues and substantive redress of their concerns�, she said.
Mrs. Quarcoo announced this at a Press Conference dubbed: �District Level Elections 2010- What is in it for women in Ghana?�, in Accra which formed part of ABANTU�s collaboration with Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES) and Women in Broadcasting (WIB) to promote women�s participation in local governance.
Mrs. Quarcoo said the society was male dominated where politics and decision making arrangements are regarded as male domains adding, the media should support women in their mission to ensure gender equality in the society.
�The issue of effective women�s representation is a critical one and it is important that we begin very early to put it upfront within the public domain for strategic discussions and actions� she said.
She called on the media and Ministry of Local Government to strengthen the capacity of women to participate in decision making at all levels to influence policies from gender perspective in the society.
Mrs. Quarcoo urged women to represent for the various Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies elections in October to enhance active
participation of all citizens at the local levels.
Mr. Ransford Tetteh, President of Ghana Journalists Association, said women constituted 51 per cent of the population adding, the media should advocate the 40 per cent representation of women in government to promote development.
He advised the women organizations to involve the decision makers in the media to develop clear gender perspectives on democratic governance and women�s right to increase women�s participation in politics.
Mr. Danaa Nantogmah, Programme Director of FES, asked women organizations to lobby local media to focus on women in their localities to
promote participation of women in decision making.
He said representation of women in the local government was a matter of social responsibility adding, local authorities should distribute decisions to the door steps of citizens.