Hajia Hamdatu Ibrahim, National Women's Organizer of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), has urged civil society organizations (CSOs), the Media, and state human rights institutions, to educate men on women’s rights to participate in active politics.

She said politics is not the preserve of men or special people, declaring that “in true politics, the role of women cannot be ignored”.

Hajia Ibrahim who was speaking to the Ghana News Agency in Accra at a day’s sensitization workshop on Gender Equality Policy Guidelines for Media and Political Parties, organized by the Foundation for Security and Development in Africa said, the issue of gender parity in our society remains a challenge nationwide.

She said socio-economic, cultural, religious and psychological hindrances were preventing women from participating actively in public and political life.

She said the perception that politics is a “dirty game,” is preventing many women from actively participating in it, which must be discarded.

She said the issue could only be addressed through an effective educational campaign for men, to disabuse their minds of the concept that women are second class citizens, stating that it is only in a parochial society that the importance of woman is always down-played.

Ahajia Ibrahim recounted that globally, the role of women in fighting for democracy has been witnessed in Pakistan, India, Britain, Burma and Indonesia, adding that there is no religion which bares women from active politics.

The Women’s Organizer said although women constitute 51 per cent of Ghana’s population, currently they account for less than 10 per cent of people in public office, and only eight per cent of Parliamentarians, hence more needs to be done by all political parties to increase the participation of women in politics and public discourse at all levels.

She said the CPP has shown the way by electing the first woman Chairman of a political party in Ghana, and has ensured that a certain quota of party executives at all levels of the party was allocated to women.

She appealed to CSOs to also intensify their campaign of urging more women to enter politics, take up public offices and to actively participate in public discourses.

Hajia Ibrahim advised women who enter into public discourses to always ensure that they gather enough facts at their finger tips.

She urged the Media to help promote gender issues, and to ensure that at least 30 per cent of their panelists in public discourses are women.