Five women have successfully gone through vetting to contest positions in the Jirapa constituency election of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Upper West Region.

Mr Richard Kuunaah, Executive Director of GHANACare, a non-governmental organization, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview in Sunyani on Thursday that women participation in politics in the Jirapa Distict had increased significantly.

He said this was as a result of a project being implemented by GHANECare in the district aimed at increasing women participation in local politics, he explained.

According to Mr Kuunaah the NGO, which works to promote the welfare of children and women in the Upper West Region in collaboration with Academy for Local Democracy (ALD), a German NGO is implementing the project with funding from the Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), and the German Development Cooperation (GIZ).

He said the women expressed interest to contest in the NDC constituency elections because they were able to overcome certain basic challenges such as lack of self-confidence as a result of the project.

Mr Kuunaah said increase in women participation in local politics would not only enhance local governance, but would also directly help to respond to the needs and aspirations of the local people.

He said the NGO was yet to monitor and assess the active involvement of women in other political parties.

Mr Kuunaah said from all indications, women participation in the upcoming District Assembly Elections would also increase in the district