Results so far released by the Electoral Commission [EC] to the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs on women who contested in this year's district assembly elections have revealed that out of the 981 women who contested, 368 or about 38% of them won.

Records at the ministry further showed that 580 women filed for nomination in 1998, as compared to the 981 who filed for this year.

Whereas only 199 or 34% of the women won four years ago, 368 women won this year.

Chronicle also gathered that, with the exception of the Upper East Region whose results are yet to be declared by the EC, the number of women who contested for this year's elections as compared to that of 1998 has increased considerably.

These were made known to the Chronicle in an interview with the Special Assistant to the minister for Women And Children Affairs, Mr. David Aidoo, who further disclosed that, the increased number of women in the assembly elections could solely be attributed to the various workshops and sensitisation programmes the ministry initiated throughout the regions in an effort to whip up the interest of women in the process.

Continuing, Mr. Aidoo said that though, the ministry was bent on encouraging far many more women to participate, it was realised on the field that most of the women lacked financial support as well as self -confidence to canvass for support and votes.

Commenting on the freedom and fairness of the elections, Mr Aidoo asserted that though the ministry received sporadic complaints by some women that they had been discriminated against by their male counterparts, election malpractices were quite checked.

The ministry has persuaded cabinet to agree on allocating 50% of seats to women in every district assembly as government appointees, Aidoo said, adding that in the past, only 30% of the seats were allocated to women.

On challenges facing women in the 21st century, the special assistant noted that the "hullabaloo" being made by the media on educating the girl-child as well as empowering women would become a mere hoax, if steps are not taken to support them financially.

According to him, the ministry on its part is providing women with micro-finance facilities so as to enable them expand their small-scale businesses.

The problem of child labour, he further explained, would also be minimised when the issue of poverty is addressed, especially from the economic point of view.

If unemployed women have jobs they will be able to send their children to school rather than sending them on the streets to hawk, which exposes them to all sorts of social vices, the ministerial aide stressed.

He was also of the view that the Poverty Alleviation Fund currently being disbursed at the district assemblies should cover every sector of the economy, adding that challenges facing every sector of the economy should be tackled holistically.