The first vice chairperson of the Convention Peoples Party, Hajia Hamdatu Ibrahim Haruna is calling on the government of Ghana to fully empower women if only government wants a holistic development of the country.
According to her, Ghana cannot successfully address its sustainable development challenges if half of Ghana’s population potential is constraint. She says Ghanaians should forget about real development as a country if government continues to pay lip service to women empowerment but does nothing to fully empower, encourage and support women to assume leadership positions.
Speaking at a three day workshop organized by Women’s Academy for West Africa (WAFA), for women in CPP, she said women constitute majority of Ghana’s population yet women are underrepresented in places of power and continue to suffer all kinds of abuse.
The workshop was organized by WAFA to empower women in CPP to be able to take up leadership position in CPP, their various communities and in the country as a whole.
Hajia Hamdatu who also doubles as the Commissioner for WAFA in West Africa entreated all women irrespective of their background to involve themselves in decision making and most importantly take up leadership positions wherever they find themselves and should not be cowed by intimidation and unreasonable behaviour of others.
The workshop dubbed “‘Train the trainer’ workshop is the first step in creating a new breed of skilled women politicians at the national, regional and local levels that will through networking and effective interaction, prove the value of women in winning elections and promoting party values” she said.
The participants at the workshop were taught how to raise funds to support their political parties, boost their self-confidence and assertiveness, campaign strategy, media campaign strategy, lobbying and networking and also how to become an asset not only to CPP but to their communities and the nation as a whole.
Hajia Hamdatu expressed her gratitude to UK Labour Party and the Westminster Foundation WAFA for supporting WAFA West Africa to organise such a “wonderful” workshop.
Also at the workshop was the National Women’s Organizer Hajia Aisha Futa, who expressed her optimism on the CPP capturing more Parliamentary seats from the ruling NDC and NPP in this year’s election.
According to her, majority of the women who were trained at the workshop will be contesting this year’s elections on the ticket of the CPP.
She called on women in politics to support each other irrespective of the party they belong. “We should not see each other as rivals but sisters” she added.
She implored Ghanaians to vote massively for Ivor Grenstreet and the parliamentary candidates of the CPP because she believes CPP is the only political party that can save Ghana.
The participants after the workshop hailed it and stated that they have learned a lot and as they return home, they are not only seeking change but to be agents of change themselves.
