The Director of the Centre for Gender Research Advocacy and Documentation- UCC, Dr Mrs Georgina Yaa Oduro believes the nomination of Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang could kindle interests of other women into reaching great heights in Ghana’s democratic dispensation. Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang was on Monday confirmed by the flagbearer of the NDC John Mahama as his running mate for the December 7 polls.
In an exclusive interview with ATL FM News following the nomination of Professor Opoku-Agyemang, Dr Oduro described the nomination as a win for women in general.
“As the first to be given this running mate position from the NDC it is a win for women and I’m happy about it,” she said.
According to Dr Oduro, Professor Opoku-Agyemang “has always been the first at different levels, first female Vice-Chancellor and through that accomplishment, we have been seeing different female Vice-Chancellors, just recently Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology such a male-dominated institution per their background and the courses they offer, have appointed their first female Vice-Chancellor. Prof. Opoku-Agyemang paved the way in that regard.”.
Prof. Opoku-Agyemang’s nomination has drawn mixed reactions sparking discussions on the significant influence she brings to her party. Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang becomes the 8th woman to be selected as a running mate for a presidential candidate after the likes of the late Ing. Eva Lokko and Prof. Naa Afarley Sackeyfio.
But for Dr Oduro, the prowess of Professor Opoku-Agyemang coupled with the works of the NDC could yield some significant change for the party.
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She, however, noted that other dynamics such as ethnicity and religion would come to play aside her gender, ”but we should also know that Ghana as a country has different dynamics when it comes to politics, including ethnicity and religion. It is not so much of gender.”
She added that her gender would matter more for those who understand the gender agenda, “gender is going to play a role especially for feminists and those who understand the gender agenda they may be influenced by her gender “.
According to Dr Oduro, the nomination sends a good signal for the representation women in the country ” as we all know women form 52% of the total population, but as at now we have about 27% of women in parliament so to have a woman partnering a man at the level it’s a really big achievement”.
Dr Georgina Yaa Oduro further added that the accomplished professor’s rise to such pinnacle is a big achievement for CEGRAD and the University of Cape Coast at large.
“As a gender centre we are happy about this nomination, to us, it is a win not just for the centre but for the university and also all women in Ghana and this is no mean a woman but a woman that has been associated with the university at different levels and finally being a Vice-Chancellor and also a Minister of Education it is a mentorship role for most of us.“
With the nomination of Prof. Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang as the running mate for the former president and flag bearer of the opposition National Democratic Congress, John Dramani Mahama, a significant number of Ghanaians have welcomed the news with enthusiasm with others considering it a step towards women empowerment in the country.
For her part, Prof. Opoku-Agyemang has said she is overwhelmed by the massive endorsement she has received from Ghanaians with her historic nomination which she describes as one which recognizes the role women have played over the years to achieve progress.
Source: Joseph Kobina Amuah/ATLFMNEWS
