I, Dr Abed Bandim, MP for Bunkpurugu, hereby wish to congratulate all women all over the world on the occasion of the 2024 International Women’s Day.

International Women’s Day is an occasion established by the United Nations for global dedicated attention to women’s issues/concerns.

Of the 82,384 people living in the Bunkpurugu/Nyankpanduri district according to the 2021 Population and Housing Census results released by Ghana Statistical Service, 41,980 are female thus representing 51 per cent, a simple majority.

The concerns/needs of women in my constituency located within the Bunkpurugu/Nyankpanduri district is, therefore, of utmost interest/relevance to me. After all, this is why I was elected MP.

Equally more important, of the 59,430 rural population, 30,183 people (again 51 per cent), are women.

With proper planning under the next NDC/Mahama administration we shall work assiduously together with the Bunkpurugu/Nyankpanduri District Assembly to reduce the 1310 homeless population to zero.

These 1310 homeless people include 650 women who could be subjected to all sorts of harm while they sleep on the street corners and in front of shops.

I shall be coordinating with the district assembly and other collaborators to install street lighting soon so as to ensure enhanced safety at night for everyone.

I, hereby, passionately appeal to all district assemblies to do wide consultations and help address the housing/health problems - not challenges - faced by non-household women on the occasion of this year’s International Women’s Day.

Surely, addressing this problem will have a knock-on effect on men and children as well.

In the meantime, I appeal to all women to continue their resilience, grit and tenacity as they go about their daily chores.

This year’s theme “Inspire Inclusion” should challenge us to include women in urban/rural housing schemes as a deliberate reverse discrimination policy.

Long live the women farmers, motorbike riders, market women, mothers, teachers, other professionals and housewives in the Bunkpurugu Constituency.

May God/Allah crown all your righteous efforts/longsuffering with success. Amen.