Bolgatanga, Feb 4, GNA - A gender advocacy group in the Upper East Region on Tuesday reiterated the need for President John Atta Mills' government to give equal opportunities to women from the area to serve as Chief Executives, Assembly members and Council of State members. Mr. Daud James Abang-Gos, Chairman of the Regional Inter-sectoral Gender Network (RISEGNET), held that since the beginning of the Fourth Republic, the Upper East Region had only one woman appointed as DCE, one as Presiding member and two others as deputy Regional Ministers. "There has never been a woman Regional Minister for the Region and only few women had been in the Assemblies. This does not ensure equitable development," he said at a press briefing in Bolgatanga. The briefing was organised to highlight gender mainstreaming activities of the organization and how it sought to address challenges relating to its advocacy work.

Mr Abang-Gos said 52 percent of the population in Upper East is women and yet they were grossly under represented in all decision-making structures. He said through its advocacy, chiefs and their elders in the Bongo and Talensi-Naddam districts had modified certain negative cultural practices including widowhood rites, elopement and Female Genital Mutilation.

He said the organisation had plans to intensify its advocacy campaign, membership drive, as well as women capacity building. He mentioned the lack of funding as a major challenge confronting the operation of RISEGNET and appealed to donor agencies and development partners for support.