Rahamatu-Lahi Zakaria || Editor Sanatu Zambang
On Monday, 9TH March, The Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Hon. Hajia Alima Mahama launched the Ghana Chapter of Network of Local Elected Women in Africa (REFELA) in Tamale to mark the International Women’s Day. The event was on the theme “Advancing women’s political participation and leadership within the local government system”.
RAFELA launched in Tangiers, Morocco in 2011 is a French coined word meaning the Network of Locally Elected Women of Africa. Ghana became a member of the network in November 2018 in Marrakech, Morocco during the 8 Africities Summit where the Municipal Chief Executive for Sagnarigu in the Northern region was elected as the President of RAFELA-GHANA Chapter and one of the Vice Presidents for West Africa. It serves as the Gender Equality Committee of the National Associations of Local and Subnational Governments in each African country.
It was a day two-day event, to launch and celebrate women and also to build the capacity of women at the local level to partake in local politics so as to increase the participation of women in local governance, both elected and appointed.
The launch brought together all-female MMDCEs, both Elected and Appointed Assembly Members in the Northern, Savanna, North East, Upper East, and Upper West Regions, Queen Mother’s, female students from selected second cycle institutions, women interest groups and women political officeholders.
Hajia Alima who was the special guest of honor used the day to call on stakeholders to strengthen policies to empower more women to take up leadership roles in local government administration. In her address, she expressed her disappointment in the lack of women participating in elections in Ghana, especially at the local level. She blamed this on the some of the social-cultural backgrounds and also the inadequate economic empowerment that these women challenged with.
Sagnerigu Municipal Chief Executive and also the President of NALAG, Hajia Mariam Iddrisu called for zero tolerance on issues that constrain the development of women. She urged stakeholders to put measures in place to create awareness on women participation in politics through capacity building, coaching programs, and role modeling engagements to enlighten them on how to assume and manage leadership positions
Hajia Mariam also revealed the action plan for 2019-2021 for REFELA launched and the three main campaigns during the 8th Africities Summit in Marrakech, Morocco. The Ghana chapter will be implementing this action plan which will be head by Hajia Mariam.
1. A campaign on African Cities without street children
2. A campaign on African cities with zero tolerance for violence against women
3. A campaign on Africa Cities favorable to the economic empowerment of women. And very recently, a proposal on
4. Africa Cities favorable to equal participation of women in political life and in decision making
Chairperson for the ceremony, Hajia Alima Sagito Saeed, CEO of SWIDA and wife of the Northern regional minister, Hon. Alhaji Salifu Saeed in her remarks urged fellow women to take opportunities available to them and participate in politics and take leadership positions. She also advised women to stop concentrating on challenges associated with leadership positions.
She ended her speech by appealing to her fellow women in leadership positions to mentor and coach other young women in a bid to increase the number of women in leadership roles in the country.
