Thank you for "waking up our women" Mr President – Akufo-Addo's women

President Akufo-Addo has received strong backing from his female appointees over his gender dynamism comments.

The President, at a recent conference in Canada, suggested that women have not shown enough dynamism in taking up key positions in governance; and that although 30 per cent of his Cabinet is made up of women, they are not seeing enough dynamism and activism from the women.

But the president’s comment has been met with criticism by women activists who feel he presented a negative picture of women.

At a news conference in Accra on the matter on Friday, 7 June 2019, however, some female appointees of the Akufo-Addo administration jumped to the president’s defence and thanked him for speaking out to challenge women to take up bigger opportunities.

The Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Hajia Alima Mahama, said: “President Akufo-Addo did no wrong because he was calling on women to use their agency to amplify their voice in decision-making positions. She said the President had championed and exhibited much commitment in empowering women”.

“He has worked to ensure women are involved in major decision platforms. But it is about time women pushed their numbers with their agenda”, she said.

The Minister of Communication, Mrs Ursula Owusu-Ekuful described as hypocritical the criticism of the president by some former female appointees of the erstwhile Mahama administration.

“The President has challenged us and we should take up that challenge. We thank him for waking us up to do more as women”, said the Ablekuma West MP.

For her part, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Ms Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey said those criticising the President were only trying hard to score political points and must be ignored.

She praised the President for working with more female appointees who are helping to fulfil his agenda of creating prosperity and equal opportunity for all.

Also present at the briefing were the deputy minister of Information Nana Ama Dokua Asiamah Adjei and the National Coordinator of the 1D1F Secretariat, Ms Gifty Ohene Konadu.