A traditional ruler has commended RUWA Ghana, an NGO, for implementing a project, which has led to the election of some women into some of the district assemblies in the Region.

Naa Shahadu Kamal-deen, Chief of Guntingli in the Yendi Municipality, who gave the commendation, said RUWA Ghana’s project had helped the Guntingli Electoral Area to have its first elected assembly woman to champion its development. He spoke when officials of RUWA Ghana and the newly elected Assembly Woman for the Guntingli Electoral Area called on him at his palace at Guntingli to express appreciation to him for supporting the “Enhancing Women’s Participation in District Assembly Elections” project.6t

The 18-month project, which will end in August, is being implemented by RUWA Ghana with support from the Open Society Initiative for West Africa. It has received great support from the Chief of Guntingli, which has led to its success, hence the call on him to express gratitude.

The project, empowered women through capacity building to contest the December, 2019 district assembly elections at Yendi, Tamale, Sagnarigu and Savelugu to increase women's representation in decision-making levels in the country.

As part of the project, three out of the 19 women, who contested the election in those assemblies, won their bids and are now representing their electoral areas.

The women, who won the elections, are Madam Mariam Alhassan, Gbumgbum Electoral Area in the Nanton District, Madam Nzara Salifu, Guntingli Electoral Area in the Yendi Municipality and Madam Bibiana Wumpini, Malshegu Electoral Area in the Sagnarigu Municipality.

Naa Kamal-deen expressed confidence in the capability of women to lead their people and appealed to the NGO to sustain the support for the women to contest both local and Parliamentary elections to increase their representation in decision-making.

Mr Masud Aziz Rauf, Executive Director of RUWA Ghana thanked the Chief for his support, saying the NGO was also sensitising some communities in the region on nutrition and child immunization, community dialogue and consensus building to avoid conflicts in decision-making in local communities.

Madam Salifu said the main problem facing her electoral area was the lack of water appealing for support to help connect the area to the Yendi Water System to ensure that they had access to potable water.