Aspiring assembly women outline plans
An aspiring assembly member for the Mampong Okai Electoral Area in Dansoman, Madam Comfort Awinya, has urged women to build their capacities and confidence to enable them participate in the development of their communities, reports Phoebe Pappoe, ACCRA.
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She said most women lacked confidence and optimism when vying for positions, adding: “This affects their chances of winning such competitive elections”.
In an interview with the Daily Graphic, the candidate, who had won two consecutive district level elections in 2002 to 2006 and from 2006 to 2010, stated that it was very important for women to contribute their quota to the nation’s development and, therefore, appealed to women who had excelled in leadership positions to help identify and mentor the youth to participate in decision-making.
Madam Awinya, who is contesting for the fourth time after she lost her third election, said she was optimistic that she would win the election to support efforts by city authorities to develop the area.
Achievement
According to her, during her tenure as an assembly member, she lobbied for street lights for her area to ensure the safety of residents since the area was dark and dangerous.
“I also lobbied and ensured that our road was graded to ensure the free movement of vehicles,” she added.
Support for women
Madam Awinya mentioned financial constraints and traditional beliefs as factors that hindered women’s participation in elections at the district and national levels.
Touching on traditional beliefs, she explained that some customs prevented women from assuming leadership roles and contributing to national development, and suggested that, “Much as it is still important to hold on to our traditional values, traditional leaders and authorities should intensify efforts to modernise some of these customs, to allow women to participate in development.
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“Some women desire and have the ability to be leaders. However, due to lack of finance and support from society, they are discouraged to take that initiative,” she said, and therefore called on organisations and individuals to support women who decided to be part of governance and the leadership process.
While urging women to be transparent and dedicated when given the mandate of leadership, she advised them to serve their members since that was a sign of good leadership.
The Assembly member for the Assissim-Abornye-Bungalow Electoral Area in Agona Swedru, Madam Monica Esi Crentsil, is seeking re-election in the forthcoming district assembly elections, writes Gilbert Mawuli Agbey, AGONA SWEDRU.
She said her achievements within her first term of office provided enough evidence for her constituents to retain her as the assemblymember for the area in the upcoming elections.
The election for the area is a close contest between the incumbent, who is the convener for the Social Services Committee of the assembly, as well as a member of the Finance and Administration Committee, and another candidate, Mr Amoakwah Boadu, an artisan.
Madam Crentsil, 48, in an interview with the Daily Graphic, said she would continue to work to harness the potentials of the people in order to improve their living standards.
Projects and programmes
She mentioned that during her tenure she organised women in her area into groups to access loans from Sinapi Aba Savings and Loans and MASLOC to enable them to start their trades.
She mentioned that the area had sanitation problems and, therefore, lobbied for the provision of refuse containers to be placed at vantage points to improve sanitation.
Madam Crentsil, who is an entrepreneur, said she played instrumental roles towards the recruitment of some youth in the area as members of the revenue collection task force and as city guards of the assembly and she also facilitated the provision of street lights to help improve security in the area.
She indicated that she had organised free health screening for the aged in the area and helped extend electricity to all parts of the area, especially the Bungalow area.