The Eastern Regional Women’s Organiser of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Shirley Naana Osei Ampem, says she is seeking re-election for a final term to consolidate her efforts to empower women and prepare more of them for leadership positions within the party.
She says her focus has been on helping women overcome financial and social barriers that have historically discouraged them from contesting party positions, while encouraging them to pursue education and develop the skills needed for greater political responsibility.
Speaking in an interview on TV XYZ, Mrs. Osei Ampem said women who previously sought political positions often faced financial difficulties and negative labelling, which made it harder for them to participate in party politics.
“At first, when a woman comes out to contest for a party position, it was really difficult, especially financially. Secondly, any woman who came out to stand for such a position was given a name or tag, and this always discouraged women and left them behind,” she said.
She said she had worked to change that situation by encouraging more women to participate in politics and build confidence in their abilities.
“So, I have been able to encourage more women to get involved in politics. Today, we have strong and beautiful women in the NDC,” she added.
Mrs. Osei Ampem said one of her priorities during her tenure had been to encourage women to acquire formal education and professional qualifications to improve their chances of securing leadership roles.
“What I did again was to encourage all the women to go to school and obtain certificates,” she said.
She cited the presence of six women serving as Constituency Women’s Organisers and Municipal Chief Executives (MCEs) in the Eastern Region during her tenure as part of the progress made.
“That is why, during my period, we had six women serving as Constituency Women’s Organisers and MCEs in the Eastern Region. I never discriminated against anyone. I always encouraged women to bring out their capabilities,” she said.
She also highlighted efforts to improve women’s financial independence, saying she wanted them to have the means to support their households and educate their children.
“That is why, when I came into power, I made sure everyone got money to be able to support their homes and also send their children to school,” she said.
According to her, some women who have benefited from the encouragement to pursue further education now hold two master’s degrees while serving as Constituency Women’s Organisers.
Mrs. Osei Ampem said qualifications would become increasingly important as women seek higher political appointments.
“Very soon, ministers will be coming from the constituencies. It is not just about being given a position; you will be asked about your qualifications,” she stated.
She added that she had encouraged women to take advantage of opportunities in programmes such as school feeding and other areas of party and community engagement.
The NDC regional women’s organiser said her re-election bid was also driven by a desire to complete the empowerment agenda she had started.
“Currently, I have 60 per cent of such women, so I want to go for this last term to get my remaining 40 per cent and make it 100 per cent,” she said.
She explained that she was also working to develop a new generation of women leaders by involving constituency-level members in leadership roles as deputies.
“What I am doing again is bringing in the constituency members as deputies. I am trying to raise them up so that by the time I decide not to contest again, I will have women whom I have trained to continue after me,” she said.
Mrs. Osei Ampem said her ultimate ambition was to ensure women could support themselves financially and participate in politics without depending on their husbands for assistance.
“Today, when I show you my Constituency Women’s Organisers who are supporting my campaign, you will be surprised because now they are all working without relying on their husbands for support,” she said.
She added that she had also benefited from the progress made by the women she had supported.
