Although much energy and resources have often been committed by successive governments and hundreds of non-governmental organizations and community-based organizations to ensuring equal participation of men and women in politics and decision-making processes since independence, the percentage of women involved in the running of the nation is still very little.
In 1997, there were 6 women (representing 16%) out of 37 ministers of state; 4 females (11%) out of 34 members of the Council of State; and in 2000, there were 19 females out of the 200 members of parliament, representing about 10% of the total figure.
At present, there are 24 women parliamentarians out of the total of 230 members, which is about 12%.
Notwithstanding the decentralization programme that sought to democratize the system of governance to achieve more participation and equitable allocation of power and wealth in the development process, women candidates were only 196 out of the overall 4,820 elected assembly members in 1998, and in the 2002 assembly elections, only 341 women were elected out of the total of 4,583, which as a matter of fact still remains very low.
As a result of this backdrop, the Associate Director of the Northern Sector Action on Awareness Centre (NORSAAC), Alhassan Mohammed Awal, at the launch of the Women Representation in District Assemblies project in Tamale, entreated the government to ensure that at least 50% of women were appointed to the offices of District Chief Executives by the year 2008.
Political parties were also entreated to ensure that 50% of women executives at the constituency, regional and national levels strengthened their decision-making structures by s2008.
The launch, under the theme 'Fourteen Years of Democratic Rule in Ghana - The Situation of Northern Women', was sponsored by ActionAid International, Ghana.
Commenting on how frequent women were discriminated against in all socio-economic activities, the NORSAAC director appealed to the government to ensure that women and men in district assemblies have equal access to the resources and funds for development work.
According Mr. Awal, women would continue to lag behind their male counterparts until Ghana begins to witness some level of commitment from all political parties and the executive arm of government to facilitate effective participation of women in politics and decision-making.
"There is also the need for Ghana to fight against traditional and religious prejudices, beliefs and perceptions, gender discrimination and low level of literacy, which have contributed to the misfortunes of the women," he stated.
On his part, Mr. Yakubu Mohammed Saani, Programme Manager of ActionAid, pledged his outfit's continuous support to NORSAAC and other women-sensitive related organizations for the promotion of women participation in decision-making and politics.