Mr. Alexis Ayamdor, Programme Facilitator of Ibis West Africa, non-governmental organisation promoting good governance, has asked District Assemblies and policy makers to incorporate gender issues into their development programmes.
He said that District Assemblies and other vital institutions could not effectively attain development for the people without mainstreaming gender issues into their programmes
Mr. Ayamdor made the call at a capacity building workshop on "Gender Mainstreaming and Responsive Budgeting", organised by the Bongo District Assembly, for chairmen of the District Assembly Sub-Committees, Assembly Members, Heads of Departments, and members of Civil Society Organizations, at Bongo at the weekend.
It was under the Public Participation in Local Governance Two(PPLG Two), a programme of the NGO, being implemented in Bongo District, in the Upper East.
Mr. Ayamdor said that the programme seeks to ensure the participation of women in public decision-making processes.
He noted that the integration of gender issues into programmes was necessary for attaining sustainable development.
Mr. Ayamdor said that the NGO was working hard to address male dominance in communities and public sector and cited that Women represented
less than 10 per cent of workers in public sector.
He called on policy makers, District Assemblies, government departments and agencies and other institutions to make provision for interest groups, particularly women in their budgets without discrimination.
The Bongo District Planning Officer, Mr Damma Mumuni reminded the participants that some development partners demanded the incorporation of gender issues into programmes as a condition for support.