Abantu for Development and Centre for Rural Women Empowerment and Development (CERWED) have initiated an election support project for female candidates in the Upper West Region contesting the impending District Assembly Election.
CERWED is offering logistics support to the candidates to facilitate their campaign.
The project dubbed: "Bicycle for Ballots Project," is being collaborated by Canadian Crossroads International and the Young Women's
Christian Association of Canada, with the goal of promoting women's leadership and political participation in Ghana.
The project seeks to address some challenges and obstacles that are inimical to women's representation and active participation in public life and other decision-making roles.
Mrs Helen Koranteng, Executive Director of CERWED on Thursday presented bicycles to some selected aspiring Assembly women in the region on behalf of the partner organisations to kick start the project.
She said the region was selected for the pilot project because of the low representation of women in the political and decision making process in the area.
Statistics made available to the Ghana News Agency indicate that the region recorded the least number of women candidates and assembly women during the 2006 District Assembly elections and also had only one Member of Parliament.
In that election 54 women contested with only 16 of them winning seats in the assemblies.
Mrs Koranteng said some of the aspiring assembly women had alleged that they were being asked to step down for male candidates and expressed fear of vote rigging in favour of their opponents.
Mrs Cate Bob-Milliar, Regional Director of the Department of Women advised the candidates to recruit men who were sympathetic to their cause to
assist them in their campaigns and also act as their agents on polling day.