Mr Yakubu Alhassan, Ashanti Regional Director of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), has rallied women to contest the upcoming district level polls, to give them a stronger voice in local governance.

They should be bold, refuse to be intimidated, and fight hard to break the tradition of unacceptably low representation of women in the Assemblies and the Unit committees.

He said there could not be any excuses and that it was in their own interest to let their numbers count - to influence political decisions in their favour and that of children.

Mr. Alhassan was speaking at a stakeholder meeting held at Mamponteng in the Kwabre East District, to encourage more women to put themselves up for election in the March 3, polls.

The programme was jointly organized by the Commission, the local Council of Churches, Muslim community, Electoral Commission (EC) and the traditional authorities, with support from the European Union (EU).

“Stakeholders engagement to engender peace and women participation in the district level elections” was the theme.

It provided the platform to educate the people and reinforce the need for all to show enthusiasm in the elections, and get more women and people with disabilities (PWDs) out to take part.

Mr. Alhassan said the contest was opened to every registered voter of sound mind, with no criminal record.

Formal education is no barrier, since deliberations at assembly and unit committee meetings is done in the local language, he added.