Three share perspectives on women in public discourse
The 2012 Vice Presidential candidate of the Progressive People’s Party (PPP), Madam Eva Lokko, has called on various public institutions, especially political parties, to do away with national women’s organiser positions because they are unnecessary.
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Ms Lokko believes these positions are offered to women to buy them off and sideline them in general.
“I will call on the organisations to scrap this position and if I had my way, I would tell women not to go for it,” she said.
The former GBC director was speaking at a forum organised by the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) for women on Wednesday.
Ms Lokko challenged women to ignore criticisms and aim for the ultimate in every sphere of society.
"When I tried to enter politics, they told me they would insult me but I said if they insult men and they become presidents, then I prefer to be insulted to become president.”
The forum, on the theme: ‘Media and women’s participation in public discourse in Ghana’, brought together several experts in women advocacy aimed at finding solutions to the seeming shortage of women in public discourse.
Otiko Afisa Djaba
Ms Otiko Afisa Djaba, the National Women’s Organiser of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), disclosed that she would summon the host of Metro TV’s Good Morning Ghana, Randy Abbey, to the National Media Commission (NMC) and Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) any time soon for denying her access to appear on the programme.
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The reason, she said, was to compel the TV anchor to explain to her and her political party why he denied her the opportunity to appear on the programme.
Madam Otiko alleged that Mr Abbey threatened to not host the popular show if she was allowed to appear on the show.
“This is against the rights of women in general and their efforts at participating in governance issues and political discourse,” she asserted.
But when the Daily Graphic contacted Mr Abbey yesterday, he explained that it was not possible for him to deny Ms Otiko Djaba access to appear on his programme.
“She got it all wrong, since per the working structure of the programme, I, as a host, do not determine who appears on the programme and who does not,” he stated.
Mr Abbey also disclosed that “producers of the programme do not determine who the NPP or the NDC bring on the show,” stressing however that, “As a host and part of the production team, we have the right to protect the integrity of the programme anytime we think the composition of a panel could create integrity problems for the show.”
He insisted that he had not come into contact with Ms Djaba for quite a long time, saying, “She is always welcome to the programme.”
Ursula Owusu Ekuful
The Ablekuma West MP, Ursula Owusu Ekuful, also revealed that her son saw it as an event when she finally made time to cook for the family.
The legislator, speaking at the forum, said her son exclaimed when he saw her at the kitchen because it had been a long time she cooked.
“ ‘You are now acting like a mother,’ he said I asked why and he said it is a long time you have been here...," she narrated.
She continued that she was embarrassed by the comment of the boy, since it showed how she had abandoned her domestic role as a mother.
She admitted that her son’s comment also drew her attention to how she had abandoned her basic responsibilities in public advocacy and campaigns for 12 years.
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She, therefore, called on women in public positions to learn to strike a delicate balance between their domestic roles and public duty.
She further called for more supporting roles for women to be able to perform their expected roles in society effectively.
Participants in the forum included Anita De Sooso, National Women ‘s Organiser of the NDC and the Executive Director of the NGO Abantu for Development, Dr Rose Mensah Kutin.