Mrs Cate A. Bob-Milliar, Upper West Regional Director of Department of Women, has suggested a constitutional amendment to make it mandatory for women who died while in office as members of parliament, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief executives to be replaced by women.
She said the review should also consider a woman representative from each of the regions as an automatic member of parliament so that 10 seats could be secured for women as late President Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah did for women.
She said this would pave the way for an increased number of women in parliament and the district assemblies who would make the voice of women heard, especially on issues that undermined the development of women and children.
Mrs Bob-Milliar was addressing 53 aspiring assembly women who would be contesting in the forthcoming district assembly election in the nine district assemblies of the Upper West Region at a three-day capacity building workshop in Wa.
The aspirants would be provided with skills and knowledge to make them self-confident to be able to take firm decisions and to be part of decision making at the local level.
Mrs Bob-Milliar suggested to government to back its directive of appointing 50 per cent of women into the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies as government appointees with legislation.
"As it is now, it is a mere directive that will be left to the discretion of the assemblies. We are calling on government and all concerned to make it a legal provision instead of just an affirmative action directive", he said.
Mrs Bob-Milliar said the affirmative policy of the two previous governments to provide 30 to 50 percent to women appointees had helped to increase the number of women as assembly members in the region.
The region registered only three women as assembly members during the first district assembly election, which rose to 31 and that was maintained in the subsequent election and rose to 46 in the last election.
The International Institute for Democratic and Electoral Assistance (IDEA) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) sponsored the forum.