MP advocates parliamentary quota to increase women’s participation in Legislature
The Member of Parliament (MP) for Ablekuma West Constituency in the Greater Accra Region, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, has advocated parliamentary quota system to increase women’s participation in the Legislature.
She explained that the practice of slashing filing fees for women by political parties was not enough of an affirmative action but devising a quota system as a policy was the only way to get more women into Parliament.
According to her, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in opposition attempted implementing the policy of reserving safe seats for women which was however aborted after massive resistance.
Mrs Owusu-Ekuful, who is the Minister of Communications and Digitalisation, reiterated the demand for political parties to reserve safe parliamentary seats for women to enable women to contest other women during elections rather than reducing filing fees for women to contest elections.
“Such a policy is the only way to get more women into Parliament and also encourage them to increase their participation in the governance structure of the country so it is imperative for political parties to critically consider in designing for implementation of an effective and efficient quota system that will seek to protect women parliamentarians while creating the opportunity for more women to become MP,” she intimated.
Mrs Owusu-Ekuful indicated that advocacy for quota system for women in Parliament does not give women the opportunity to enter Parliament on a silver platter however, in the face of obvious challenges that crowd women from political space, a quota that upholds the principle of competence and meritocracy would increase women participation not only in Parliament but in the entire governance processes of the country.
She suggested to leaders in the country to reaffirm their determination, dedication and commitment to championing the cause of women and was hopeful the House would take the front seat in pushing reforms aimed at increasing proportion of women in Parliament and the entire governance structure of the country.
