A human rights activist, Nana Oye Lithur, says demonstrating against the president is not the effective way of getting more women into government. She said even though President Mills has reneged on his party’s manifesto that aimed at apportioning about 40 percent of his appointments to women, there are other better means of putting pressure on our leaders to live up to their promises. Some women group today planned to demonstrate against the president’s failure to allocate 40% of his appointments to women, but was met with opposition with some women group aligned with the ruling National Democratic Congress. Ms Oye Lithur, who is the Co-ordinator of the Africa office, Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, told Joy Super Morning Show on Thursday that women wings of political parties need to live above partisan politics in the crusade to champion the cause of women and avoid holding “at each others’ throats”. "It is unfortunate that political undertone has crept into this... (To) address this marginalization within the political space, we need to engage with all the political parties and I am wondering whether demonstration today is an effective strategy for addressing the problem.” She said the need to have more women in government should be dear to every woman but noted that the means of getting there is a “whole process”. Nana Oye Lithur called on women advocacy groups to mobilize their resources and efforts and fashion out appropriate mode to achieve their objectives. She urged women groups to target the forthcoming district assembly elections, by encouraging more women to participate and push for their election. Meanwhile the demonstration scheduled today to protest against the appointment of few women into the Mills’ administration has been canceled because the organizers failed to secure a police permit. Instead, four members of the group led by the National Coordinator of Women in Law and Development in Africa (WILDAF), Ms. Bernice Sam have sent a petition to the Deputy Chief of Staff at the Castle in Accra. Ms. Sam has however vented her anger on the media for turning the event into a partisan affair. “I personally feel aggrieved because I have worked with you (media) for many, many years and you know who I am and the organization that I represent. “I have never in my work identified myself with any political party, neither has WILDAF identified itself with any political party. “Therefore what we sought to do today is part of the work of WILDAF Ghana and not any political party.” According to the director of public affairs of the Ghana Police Service, DSP Kwesi Ofori the women were not given permit because the police were not prepared adding the place scheduled for the demonstration had security implication. “Where they were trying to congregate and move is a very vital security area and we cannot permit that for now…it could foment trouble, it could enhance looting and so forth so we are very mindful…We are on the land of the Ga state and they have a ban in place, it’s noise making on drumming and we know the nature of the demonstration…and we need to respect the decision of the Ga state.” Story by Isaac Essel/Myjoyonline.com