Accra, March 9, GNA - Mr Kwasi Adu-Amankwah, Secretary-General, Ghana Trades Union Congress, on Thursday urged women to contest for the impending district level elections. Speaking at a day's seminar to mark the International Women's Day in Accra, Mr Adu-Amankwa said; "we need to have more women in decision-making positions to make sure that women's needs are catered for".

The issue of representative government was to ensure that people's interests were catered for at all levels, he said. Adding that women form the majority in Ghana's population and it was, therefore, prudent that they had a fair share of representation in any decision making body of the nation.

The day was celebrated under the theme: "Women in Decision-Making: Meeting Challenges, Creating Change".

Urging the women to put away shyness, Mr Adu-Amankwah said: "As human's we all feel shy, but with determination and preparations we are able to face multitudes of people and deliver speeches that lead to change".

He urged women to think through issues before speaking out adding; "your case may be good but once you do not think through the issue, you may not present it in a manner that would be welcomed by the majority and therefore end up spoiling your case".

Mr Adu-Amankwah called on women to be independent in thought and action adding, "independence has never been won anywhere on a silver platter and you need to join forces to achieve that goal". Ms Anita Adjei, Second Vice Chairperson, TUC, urged women not to continue to have lackadaisical attitude towards electoral matters adding that women needed to educate themselves on current affairs by listening to news and reading newspapers anytime they could afford to do so. "We need not continue to sit on the fence for men to rule us and take the decisions for us. It is time that women took over the mantle of leadership starting from our workplaces," she said. Ms Georgina Opoku Amankwaa, National Vice- Chairperson of Public Services Workers Union of TUC, who spoke on: "Enhancing Parent/Child Relationship" urged parents to communicate with their children at all times and not to continue to shout them down.

"Share your visions with your children and make them also share theirs with you," she said.