He said the president is keen on giving equal opportunities to women.
Nana Addo keen on giving equal opportunities to women – Minister
Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah, Minister for Information has said President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is fully committed to gender parity in the country.
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His reaction follows backlash over some comments Nana Addo made at the 2019 Women Deliver Conference in Canada.
In his contribution at the Conference, Nana Addo said he is yet to see dynamism in Ghanaian women.
"We are not seeing enough dynamism and activism on the part of those who are seeking. I am talking about dynamism where it matters…electing people to Parliament, controlling political parties because they are the instruments by which our societies make decisions.
"We are talking about decisions, not wishes and hopes, we are talking about decisions that are going to make the difference," he said.
The comments have been heavily criticised by some Ghanaian women despite the open challenge that was given Nana Addo at the conference by Dr Alaa Murabit, the UN's High Commissioner on Health Employment and Economic Growth, who appeared uncomfortable by the president's stance.
But the Information Minister Oppong Nkrumah said the President's comment has been misconstrued.
He stated that the President only sought to make a point about the need for women to step up and forcefully fight for what belongs to them.
He disclosed that in a build-up to the 2008 general elections, Nana Addo as a result of his commitment to promoting the interest of women in the country first considered a woman for the position of vice presidential candidate.
In an interview on Accra-based Citi FM, he said "The President has been one of our strongest champions for gender parity in our public life. In 2008 when he was selecting a Vice-Presidential candidate, his first choice was a woman. In 2012 he was the one who argued that women potential candidates in the NPP should be protected and should be given less of a fee to pay when they contest. He has been the President who has appointed the largest number of women in his administration, the numbers are all there. His commitment to gender parity is not in question," adding that his comment did not seek to discredit the efforts made by women.
"What people seek to do, is to draw the President into a conversation of should it be empowerment of women amplification. The President makes the point that [with regards to] empowerment and amplification, he has seen it all and he has done it all and even currently and even going beyond that to ensure that specific initiatives are put in place to build-up a young girl child upwards. But one of the things he sees missing, is a to see a lot more dynamism in the fight, dynamism demonstrated by the women themselves, that the women themselves need to forcefully put up the fight where it matters most."
"A lot is being done now, he is not saying all is useless or not important ? But we need to see more women to put themselves up," he stressed.
Women groups disappointed in Nana Addo
In March 2019, Women’s groups in Ghana have expressed concern that Nana Addo's nomination of 14 persons for consideration by Parliament as Ministers had only one woman.
In a statement, the group said: "We are extremely disappointed at this appointment as we believe that all state appointments must be undertaken within the overall commitment to gender equality of women and men in order to add value and make use of diversity of experiences in ways that are democratic and define genuine and equal citizenship."
The gender ratio being represented in this list is a mere 6.25% for women nominated as against men.
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