The Convention People's Party (CPP) seeks to promote effective affirmative action programmes that would allow women to increase their representation in national decision making,  as gender policy directives to woo voters, information available to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on Monday indicates.

The CPP considers gender inequality as it manifests in all aspects of human life such as the economy, security, education, health, and politics as compromise on the nation’s developmental drive.

The CPP election 2012 manifesto, available to the GNA, states that it will promulgate affirmative action legislation as a basis for monitoring and holding public organizations to perform.

The CPP government proposes to reward companies and organizations that offer equal employment opportunities to both men and women.

The manifesto further states that women would be given 30 per cent representation across board in all public and private decision making sectors. CPP promises to make institutional arrangements at all levels to achieve gender mainstreaming such that both men and women would equally occupy positions without discriminating against women.

Meanwhile a survey conducted by the National Commission for Civic Education ranked women and children issues as the number four out of 14 matters of concern to the Ghanaian voter in election 2012.

On regional ranking of women and children issues; the Western Region ranked it third; Volta, Eastern, Ashanti, Central, Northern, Upper East, and Upper West consider it as the fourth highest priority in election 2012;  while Brong Ahafo ranked it fifth.  

According to the survey, overwhelming majority of 71.6 per cent were females whilst 27.9 per cent were male.

The survey revealed that most people recommended that government should provide women with soft loans and that women and children issues should be given priority attention by the government.

Other issues raised in the survey are that government should educate women and children on their rights and privileges, government should give free education to children, create more employment opportunities for women, offer higher positions and appointments equal to men, and women and children should be given free health care.