Out of the total of 4,197 candidates who filed to contest in the Region, only 235 are women, representing 5.6 per cent.

Mr. Benjamin Bano-Bioh, the Ashanti Regional Director of the Electoral Commission (EC), who gave the figures, said the low women participation situation was a bit better in the Unit Committee race, where 10 per cent of the candidates were women.

He said 901 out of 8,821, representing 10 per cent of the candidates who successfully filed their nominations were women, a situation he described as worrying.

The Regional Director was addressing representatives of women groups and Persons With Disability (PWDs) at a forum on the impending referendum and the DLE scheduled for December 17, this year.

The forum formed part of series of engagements between the EC and identifiable groups ahead of the referendum.

The goal is to update the citizenry on the electoral processes and the local governance system and also solicit for their concerns to ensure a smooth organization of the December elections.

Mr. Bano-Bioh said it was important that women rise up and play active part in all democratic processes to scale up women participation in democratic governance.

He said the EC recognized the important role of women in national development, and that, their involvement in the electoral processes was critical to a successful election.

He said women could play equally important roles in the electoral process as observers and election officials and charged them to take up such roles, going forward.

The EC, he noted, respected the rights of every voter especially those in the minority and pledged the commitment of the Commission to ensure their concerns were addressed.