Sunyani (B/A), 5 Sept., The government has accepted in principle an affirmative action proposed by the National Council on Women and Development (NCWD) aimed at ensuring a de facto equality between the sexes in all spheres of public live. The proposal which would soon be placed before Parliament for consideration, will, among other things, ensure 40 per cent representation of women in Parliamentary, Cabinet, Ministerial and District Assembly positions as well as public boards. Mrs. Cecilia Johnson, Deputy Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, announced this during the opening session of a two-day international workshop on ”enhancing women participation in municipal politics in Ghana” at Sunyani yesterday. The workshop which forms part of the 10th congress of the National Association of Local Authorities of Ghana (NALAG) is being sponsored by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM). More than 60 representatives of district assemblies, women’s organisations including the 31st December Women’s Movement (DWM) and the Queenmothers’ Association are attending. Mrs. Johnson said despite the fact that women constitute more than 51 per cent of the population, their participation in politics and public life is almost negligible.
