GenCED builds capacity of election observers

The Gender Centre for Empowering Development (GenCED), a non-governmental organisation has organised a training workshop to build the capacity of election observers ahead of the December 7 presidential and parliamentary polls.

The workshop which brought together diverse groups of participants, mostly women, from across the country, was held in Accra and Sunyani to equip them with essential tools and knowledge in their observation roles.

It was aimed at addressing gender disparities in the electoral process and promoting credible elections.

The workshop themed  "Promoting credible elections for transformational development in Ghana" was organised with support from the European Union (EU).

Participants

The participants were taken through topics such as women’s rights, gender equality in elections and identifying gender-based violence during the electoral process.

Others were the checklists for gender-sensitive election observation to ensure that both men and women were represented in observation roles and how polling stations would be accessible to voters, especially women and persons with disabilities.

In addition, the participants were introduced to real-time reporting mechanisms, including mobile apps and hotlines for direct communication with the GenCED Gender Election Watch (GEW) Situation Room which would oversee live monitoring of the electoral process.

Transparency

Speaking at the workshop, the Executive Director of GenCED, Esther Tawiah, stressed the significance of election observers to the electoral process.
 

“As Ghana nears the upcoming elections, the significance of election observers in ensuring a transparent electoral process is paramount.

“Election observers play a vital role in promoting transparency, accountability, and fairness in the electoral process," she emphasised.

Ms Tawiah said that empowering election observers, particularly women, would also help to address gender disparities in the electoral process and promote credible elections.

Ms Tawiah said the initiative formed part of GenCED's broader mission to promote gender equality, women's rights, and youth participation in democratic governance.

The facilitator, an expert in governance and gender issues, Elliott Steven Mensah, who took the participants through the various topics highlighted the importance of proactive media monitoring, which began before election day and the recognition of various electoral anomalies, including voter intimidation, misleading information and ballot tempering.