THE DANISH International Development Agency (DANIDA) is supporting Ghana's District Assemblies and Unit Committee elections with a budget of 2.800,00 Danish Kroner (US $330,000 at the current exchange rate).

Under a project dubbed: "Facility for Civil Society Support for Local Government Elections in Ghana," DANIDA has engaged the assistance of a Danish Non-Governmental Organisation, IBIS, to co-ordinate the support to civil society groups as well as establish liaison with the Electoral Commission.

The project, which is already underway, is focused in four regions where DANIDA and IBIS are already present. These are the Northern Region, Upper East Region. Upper West Region and Volta Region.

Among the objectives of the project are to advocate for women in politics, educate them and create awareness to help women participate in the local elections, including exercising their right to vote, run for seats in the Assemblies and serving as electoral officers.

The project is also to sustain voters' understanding and support for an inclusive system of local governance that is responsive to their needs at the lowest level possible.

In the Northern Region, the Northern Ghana Network for Development (The Network), an umbrella of some 45 NGOs operating in the three Northern regions, is co-ordinating the activities of selected NGOs in areas such as education of voters, training of district assembly candidates and affirmative action for women's participation in the local elections.

According to the Network Executive Secretary, Ismael Lansah, NGOs which have since been actively engaged in the 13 districts of the Northern Region include Amasachina, Gub-Katimali, Tuma Kavi, PAPADEV, TIDA and BADECC.

The rest are the Centre for Human Rights Education and Advocacy (CHREA), Juxtapose Integrated Development Association (JIDA), Tiyumba Development Association (TIDA), and PENORUDAS.

The decentralized local government system in Ghana provides for a system made up of 110 decentralised administrative units comprising three Metropolitan Assemblies, four Municipal Assemblies and 104 District Assemblies, whilst a total of about 16,000 Unit Conunittee areas have been demarcated.

DANIDA has a long tradition of support for Ghana's democratization process from national to local elections.

An essential aspect of this support has been the assistance provided to Civil Society Organisations and NGOs to participate in providing various services and activities to enhance public participation in these elections.