With few weeks left for the flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr Mahammudu Bawumia to announce his running mate, the push for woman running mate has intensified.
Already, the Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) and other institutions and individuals have called on the Vice President to pick a woman to partner him in the December general elections.
FIDA, in particular, had argued that it was time a woman became Vice President of Ghana.
This, the women lawyers argued, would ensure gender balance. Others have also argued that with women constituting more than half of Ghana’s population, they cannot be relegated to the background when it comes to political decision making.
Dr Bawumia himself has so far not commented, as to whether he will give the opportunity to a woman this time around or not.
Since 1992, NPP has always nominated males as vice presidential candidates, but the gender groups want the equation to change this time, with the administrator of the District Assembly Command Fund, Naa Torshie and Chief of Staff, Madam Frema Opare featuring permanently on their permutations.
It, however, appears that not only women groups are pushing for a woman running mate, but the men as well.
The President of the Methodist Church of Ghana, Dr. Paul Kwabena Boafo, for instance, used yesterday Women’s Day celebration to also drum home the need for women to play front line roles in our politics.
Though he did not specifically mention Dr Bawumia’s name, he implied that he (Bawumia) should take a cue from the National Democratic Congress (NDC) flagbearer, John Mahama, and also nominate a lady to partner him.
Delivering the Women’s Day sermon at the Most Rev Kwesi Dickson Memorial Methodist Church, at Adjiringanor, a suburb of Accra yesterday, Dr. Boafo commended the NDC for their progressive step and stressed the importance of women in leadership roles.
“I know it is a good thing, as it shows how important our mothers and our women are,” Dr. Boafo stated, adding “I pray that the others will also learn and copy from this to show that yes indeed, in celebrating women, it is not just for celebrating them, but that we will bring them to the front burner and make them part and parcel of our political landscape.”
Dr. Boafo emphasised the critical roles women play in society and challenged political entities to integrate more women into significant positions, especially within the political spectrum.
“Celebrating women should bring us to the table to understand that yes indeed, these mothers and these women, we should see how we can bring them into the political landscape,” he asserted.
According to him, Mother’s Day is a very important day in many parts of the world as the day is dedicated to celebrating motherhood and the phenomenal roll have been playing in our lives.
He admonished the congregation to consider the essence and importance of mothers in their protection and upbringing and use the Church as a mother.
He argued that without the church, as a mother, one cannot have God as a father, adding that God established the Church as a mother to all of human creation.
He said, “We are not only celebrating mothers and women, but we see your value, we see your importance, we see what you bring to the table and what you bring to society.
“It is not just a celebration to acknowledge what mothers do, but to also look into the future as to what our mothers can continue to do for our societies and families, in our churches, in our political landscape and the entire Ghana.
“The church leader also took the opportunity to urge all eligible Ghanaians, especially women, to participate actively in the electoral process by registering to vote.
“Don’t wait to be called by a party and to hold your hand to go to the registration center and then it becomes a struggle,” he urged.
This call to action comes at a crucial time, as the nation prepares for its 2024 general elections, with gender representation in politics taking center stage.
In a related development, Rev. Enoch Thompson, Executive President of the Ghana Baptist Convention, speaking at the Messiah Baptist Church during the 2024 Mothers’ Day celebration at Tabora-Israel, has also encouraged mothers to aspire to political office and for political parties to consider empowering women to rise to high office in our national politics.
