The incumbent Member of Parliament for the Kwabenya Constituency who recently lost in the NPP parliamentary primaries has expressed concerns about gender bias in the national pledge of GHana.
In a live broadcast during parliamentary debate on Tuesday, Adwoa Safo advocated for the inclusion of "foremothers" alongside the use of” forefathers" in the pledge to acknowledge the contributions of women in shaping the country’s history.
This follows part of Parliament’s new Standing Orders to recite the national pledge at the beginning of Parliament’s sitting every week.
The move aims to instill a sense of patriotism and unity among members of the chamber.
However, the Former Minster for Gender, Women and Children, Adwoa Safo did not fail to express her displeasure in the use of “forefathers” as she described as "gender insensitive" explaining that it did not actively capture the contributions of women in the development of the country since time immemorial.
In response to her concerns, the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin pointed out that the wording of the pledge is enshrined in the constitution, thus potentially requiring a constitutional amendment to effect any changes.