MDAs Urged To Inculcate Gender Issues In Devt Plans

An Economic Consultant, Eric Banye, has asked Municipal and District Assemblies (MDAs) to inculcate gender issues in their four-year medium-term development plans.

That, he indicated, would ensure parity and fairness between males and females in all aspects of the development agenda.

Mr Banye made the call at a training seminar for local government officials in Koforidua in the Eastern Region.

The seminar, which was organised by the Hunger Project in partnership with Ghana, as well as BMZ, was to strengthen sub-district institutions for community-led public services in Ghana.

The event, which was also to improve the responsiveness, transparency and accountability of local government authorities, was attended by municipal and district chief executives (MDCEs), planning officers of the assemblies, coordinating directors and budget officers.

According to Mr Banye, most often development plans initiated by the assemblies had been tailored towards males at the disadvantage of females and persons with disability (PWDs).

Male domination
"In most cases, medium-term development plans of the assemblies are skewed towards male domination, which does not augur well for the development of the communities," he stated.

Mr Banye stressed that since the female population was higher than that of the males, it was expedient to implement a gender-parity development agenda that would equally cater for the people.

Resources
The Country Director of the Hunger Project, Samuel Afrane, said the assemblies were now collaborating effectively with the communities in terms of development.

He, for instance, indicated that in some circumstances, the communities mobilised their own resources of which assemblies also added theirs for the implementation of projects.