‘If The Finance Minister Was A Woman, We’ll Not Find Ourselves In This Situation’ – Helen Ntoso

Member of Parliament for the Krachi West Constituency, Helen Ntoso, has called for an increase in the representation of women in all spheres of leadership in the country.

Speaking on the floor of Parliament on Tuesday, the NDC lawmaker bemoaned the low rate of women occupying positions in the country.

According to her, compared to men, women excel more at the helm of affairs; adding that the country’s fortunes would have been better if a woman was to have been made the Finance Minister.

“As a nation, the 30% that the UN has asked nations to appoint women as representatives in leadership, Mr. Speaker, Ghana we are down. So there’s the need for Ghana to do something about the 30% women representation in leadership.

In Africa, Mr. Speaker, you have countries like Rwanda – 61.3%, Burundi -38.2%, Senegal – 43%, Cameroon – 33.9%, Ethiopia -38.8%, Namibia – 44.2%, Tanzania – 36.7%, Uganda – 34.9%, Zimbabwe -31.9%, South Africa – 45.8%, in Ghana, we’re only 14%.

Mr. Speaker we’ve got to do something about this. Mr. Speaker, I dare to say that when women are in positions, I dare to say that they do better than men. Mr. Speaker I also dare to say, if the Finance Minister was a woman, we’ll not find ourselves in this situation that we find ourselves in”, the MP said.

In her submissions, she also advocated that, if the National Democratic Congress wins power in the next election, the party should consider more women for ministerial positions in the areas of defense, finance and interior.

Speaking on the back of this year’s International Women’s Day on March 8, the legislator also used the opportunity to congratulate all the forty women, currently in Ghana’s 8th Parliament.

The call by Helen Ntoso, adds to the numerous advocacies for women to be given due recognition in the governance of the country and other relevant spheres of national life.

This call, which has become a global concern, underpins the celebration of the International Women’s Day, which falls on the 8th of March, every year. The annual commemoration seeks to rehash the need for women to be empowered, with more focus on the challenges that undermine their progress and plague their wellbeing.

The theme for this year’s International Women’s Day is: “Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow”.

According to the UN Women, “The year 2022 is pivotal for achieving gender equality in the context of climate change, and environmental and disaster risk reduction, which are some of the greatest global challenges of the twenty-first century. Without gender equality today, a sustainable future, and an equal future, remains beyond our reach.

This year’s IWD observance is in recognition and celebration of the women and girls who are leading the charge on climate change adaptation and response, and to honour their leadership and contribution towards a sustainable future”.

By: Paa Kwesi Schandorf/JFM