Accra, Jan. 8, GNA - The Electoral Commission (EC) has been commended for creating additional 30 constituencies in conformity with Articles 47 (5) and (6) of the 1992 Constitution.

Ms Gloria Ofori-Boadu, President of the Women Assistance and Business Association (WABA), said it would strengthen multi-party democracy and accelerate national development.

She urged women groups and gender advocates to spare no efforts at whipping up the interest of women in politics and to take advantage contest in the new constituencies.

Ms Ofori-Boadu, who was the former Executive Director of International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), was speaking the Ghana News Agency.

She appealed to political parties to consider nominating more women candidates for the parliamentary elections.

She urged gender groups to develop a strong networking platform to harness efforts for a greater impact in this year's election.

She said the prevailing political environment offered a good opportunity for advocacy, as politicians eager for votes were receptive to demands of sections of the population who wielded a considerable influence in the constituencies on the vote pattern.

Ms Ofori-Boadu said WABA would encourage political parties to nominate more women as well as sensitise women to contest for elections saying it would encourage the electorate to vote for a party that had a clear programme for the advancement of gender equality.

She called on the political parties to evolve specific and detailed agenda for the advancement of gender equality and make them practical with the view to increasing the number of women at the various levels of decision-making.

"We want to see the political parties endorse women as presidential candidates and running mates and more women as parliamentary candidates.

"We do not care how the voting pattern will go this year, we only want to see a pattern that reflects more women in decision-making and a government which is committed to the advancement of gender equality," she said.

Touching on the issue of affirmative action, she said, given the history of marginalizing women due to cultural reasons, "the only way to effectively integrate women into the mainstream of society is for them to be given due cognisance in opportunities".

Ms Ofori-Boadu, who is also the Assemblywoman for Adenta, said affirmative action was not about giving women quotas in leadership positions as was being purported in some circles, but to ensure that the abilities of women were also tapped and utilised for the development of the country.