According to ghana news agency:aking and Peacebuilding in Ghana’ project implemented by the Upper West Regional Department of Gender. The governments of Denmark and Luxembourg provided funding support for the intervention through the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as part of efforts to close the gender leadership gap in the region.
The platform brought together about 30 women in the Lambussie District and female mentors, including former Assembly Members and academics, as part of a series of capacity-building activities spearheaded by the Department of Gender and its partners. Madam Charity Batuure, the Upper West Regional Director of the Department of Gender, disclosed this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Wa on the impact of the initiative.
She explained that the women had earlier received a two-day mentorship programme facilitated by accomplished women leaders who shared their experiences, challenges, and strategies for leadership success. Madam Batuure said the mentorship sought to build the skills of the women to take advantage of opportunities and contribute meaningfully to development initiatives.
She noted that the lack of the requisite leadership skills discouraged women from aspiring for leadership roles, and that the intervention was designed to strengthen the capacities of women and boost their confidence to advocate for inclusion and full participation in governance. Madam Batuure identified a lack of confidence, cultural and religious beliefs, and social norms as barriers preventing women from pursuing leadership roles.
The women were also introduced to local governance structures and trained on human rights and freedoms to enable them to effectively advocate for vulnerable and marginalised groups, especially women. Statistics from the 2023 district-level elections showed a wide gender disparity, with only four out of the 24 women who contested Assembly Member positions being elected, while 32 were appointed, compared to 706 men. At the Unit Committee level, 64 women vied for positions against 1,833 men.
The Mentor-Mentee Platform is expected not only to inspire female leadership but also to contribute to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5, which seeks to advance gender equality and empower women by 2030.