Date: 17th November, 2020.
Venue: Accra International Press Centre
Opening by Kinna Likimani
The press conference began with some welcome remarks from the facilitator for the day; Kinna Likimani. She welcomed everybody to the event and thanked Star-Ghana and Abantu as the hosts for making it possible. She went on to speak about the woeful representation numbers of women in political and official leadership positions in the country. She lamented the fact that this has been going on for over two decades; since the beginning of our Fourth Republic. She mentioned that female political appointees were not up to 30% and also that Parliament consisted of less than 15% of women. The speaker then touched on the fact that representation goes way beyond just being in the position. This is because, once they are there, the odds are already stacked against them and so they have to be good advocates in order to push their interests through. She opined that we have such press conferences because women are still oppressed and that if the situation was fair then there wouldn’t be the need to meet. Kinna Likimani further stated that the socioeconomic conditions of Ghana now, is the sum total of what men can do. The marginalized must get into positions to make change for themselves. The most marginalized are women, especially disabled ones and single mothers. She questioned how oppressed women have to be and continue suffering and living compromised lives before they get the needed change. Women must not stop asking questions and settling for less. They must put their mind to their goals everyday and work one day at a time to achieve change. Women must take things into their own hands as Ghana is a country that has the space for these changes to occur. She ended her address by saying that we must hold our female leaders to be accountable so that they can make real change from their positions.
Presentation by Hilary Gbedemah
Before she started of her presentation, she stated that she was happy and hopeful with the resilience of women. She stated that in her early legal years, before the Intestate Succession Law was passed, she dealt with many ridiculously sad cases that are almost unthinkable of in today’s society. One of such cases involved a woman who had been thrown out of her matrimonial home after her husband had died. Her presentation touched on a couple of areas; democracy and elections. On the topic of democracy, she shared a few points;
- Women represent 51% of the population and so their representation rates should certainly be better since we are in a democratic state. The poor representation rates is not for a lack of interest but rather due to the fact that women are oppressed and said to be unqualified. An example of the historical oppression against women is evident from 1960 where the ten women nominated for parliament had to pass and English interview. Their male colleagues never went through an interview process.
- Local languages should be able to be spoken in Parliament since there is provision for translators. The English language is not a measure of ability or the knowledge required for one to be an effective leader.
- As much as democracy has its benefits, it is somewhat a hindrance to getting some of the favourable laws for the protection and interests of women passed. An example is how the Intestate Succession Law was passed under an autocratic military regime but the amendment of that same law has taken up to 7 years in a democratic regime.
- The legal requirements of participation by women have all been met and so the onus is on women to take action. These legal requirements are met under the 1992 Constitution and under the International instruments that Ghana is a signatory to.
- Women are socialized to serve men. This begins from the home. In order to change the patriarchal system, socialization is key and so parents must start empowering their kids and showing equality and equity amongst their kids from a young age so they grow up with it.
- Ideally, there should’ve been a 4% average increment in the number of women representatives progressing through each election from 1992. However, instead of Ghana having an average increment of 1% every year, we have averaged 1% growth every four years. In 1992, there were 8% of women representatives. In 2020, pre-elections, the representation rate is about 13.4% for women.
She then shared a few points on elections:
- Women who make it in politics are always bad mouthed; People usually make up false stories about them using sexual favours to achieve their status.
- Family level voting- This is where the head of the family instructs everyone in the household on who to vote for. Failure to comply usually results in unpleasant consequences.
- Vote buying whereby political parties pay people as low as GHS5 to vote for their candidates. They make sure of this by requesting picture proof of the vote.
- Media Reportage- How women are portrayed by the media also plays a major role in their political fate.
- Some backward cultural practices also affects women when it comes to voting and other political processes. An example of this when women who are on their periods are not allowed to cross a river to go and vote on the other side because it is believed that they will contaminate the river. These fundamental issues are grounded in patriarchy and culture and we have the capacity to solve these problems.
She ended her presentation by talking about the obstacles that were blocking women. These included; the electoral processes and systems, the media, patriarchy and cultural ways of thinking. She stated that it is the duty of every single citizen to work towards change.
Following Madam Hilary Gbedemah’s presentation, Kinna Likimani did a quick recap of the presentation and shared a few points of her own:
- Access to state coffers helps men in board positions to run for leadership positions.
- Religion has also been an opium of the masses as women submit themselves to be seen as chattels.
- Motherhood is the most essential leadership role and so mothers must use this opportunity to socialize their children right since mothers usually spend more time with the children.
Before the discussions began, a representative from the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection shared a few points:
- The ministry is mandated to ensure equality and empower women.
- There must be advocacy for women to take up more leadership roles because they will be less partisan and they will provide another perspective on issues and most likely more powerful perspectives on education and health.
- Women are also more aware of the environment and so with sustainable development needed, it is key to have women in leadership positions where they can make a real contribution. Equitable share in decision-making is needed.
- The ministry also collaborates with the Electoral Commission to get conditions in place for women, persons with disabilities and other marginalized groups to ensure they can all participate freely and fully in the elections.
Discussions
- Contribution- There is an oppressive system within political parties. Women must be made aware of the real dirtiness that goes on within political parties that they will be subjected to just as men in the parties are.
Response- Is this the type of system we want? Based on brunt? Do we have to show money and perform favours before we are given a chance? What is it we want from representation? We have to set out clear systems and forms.
- Contribution- Are our traditional leaders helping us? We have a House of Chiefs but no House of Queens? The problems of inequality start from there.
Response- It is a very archaic institution that liaisons with political leaders and parties. Traditional ruling systems should be abolished as most of their practices and some beliefs are extremely backward and oppressive. For example widows not being allowed to seek recourse from Chief’s until a year after the death of their husbands. The institution has refused to change with times. Their priority should be serving people properly and not just collecting thanks. If the National House of Chiefs cannot see the problems of their inequality towards women, the institute is not necessary and should be abolished. Continued advocacy is key; provisions in the 1992 Constitution is made for Queen mothers but it has not been implemented properly. We must demand things of our leaders, chiefs, and religious leaders. We shouldn’t treat them like they are doing us a favour. Leaders must be reminded that they are powerful only because we have voted and appointed them. - Contribution –
- The women need to discover themselves and realize they are born powerful. Men are reliant on women and cannot do without them.
Closing remarks by Hamida Harrison
She stated that she was pleased with a wonderful and sound session and felt that some real that people have been taken lightly have been touched on. The issues are more complex than we think. She added that being here has been eye-opening and we must reflect on the positions we have in this country and how we can generate power from our favorable positions and launch favorable change for ourselves as a country. Mrs. Harrison also stated that it will be helpful for the government to support this cause since they have the most sway and influence. Without women, a transformation in development cannot happen. ABANTU is calling on all of us to work well towards a better future. She ended by expressing thanks on behalf of Abantu to everybody present at the press conference. The consisted of the journalists, the facilitator, presenter and Star-Ghana.
no replies