TEN DISTINGUISH WOMEN HONOURED

Ten distinguish women from the ten Regions of Ghana and eight civil society groups have been awarded by the Institute of Local Government Studies (I L G S) for their immense contribution to the promotion of Local Governance in their respective Districts and the nation as a whole. The ten awardees include, Madam Veronica Atampoka Mba, a visually impaired Assembly Woman in Bongo District (Upper East Region); Madam Edith Evelyn Akpoto, former Presiding Member for Hohoe Municipal Assembly (Volta Region) and Elizabeth Anambiak Asampo, Assembly Women of the Kumbungu District (Northern Region). Others are Claire Cynthia Der, former Presiding Member for Lambussie-Karni District Assembly (Upper West Region); Beatrice Bernie Boateng, former Member of Parliament for New Juabeng North Constituency (Eastern Region) and Victoria Norgbey, an Educationist and Governance Expert (Western Region). The rest are Nana Ama Serwaa Nyarko, Queen mother of Offinso Traditional Area (Ashanti Region); Comfort Zormelo, former Assembly Woman at Medie (Greater Accra); Afua Kwartema Yamoah, former Assembly Woman for Agona East District (Central Region) and Comfort Perpetual Amoah, Assembly Woman for Hwediem Asona Electoral Area (Brong Ahafo Region). Eight institutions that were also honoured were Abantu for Development, the National Association of Local Authorities in Ghana (NALAG), ActionAid Ghana, the Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs (MOWAC) and United Nations Women. The rest were the International Federation of Women Lawyers, Ghana (FIDA), Women in Law Development in Africa (WILDAF) and IBIS Ghana. The memories of passed heroines like the late Hawa Yakubu, former Member of Parliament for Bawku, Florence Bentie, former District Chief Executive for Sisala, Regina Ayerko Apotsi, former Presiding Member for Manya Krobo and Sarah Kuntu-Atta, former District Chief Executive for Upper Denkyira were honoured for their selfish service to their district when they were alive. Addressing the gathering,Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Nana Oye Lithur highlighted the importance of local governance in the country's democratic dispensation. She called for more attention to be given to local governance as it had direct bearing on the lives and participation in governance of those at the grassroots level. She lauded the role of local governance as it served as the fertile grounds for nurturing those who wanted to get into mainstream politics. She however expressed concern about the low level of women’s involvement in governance and called for the passage of the affirmative Justice Bill to address issues relating to more inclusion of women in politics. GNA