The National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) has reiterated the call on political parties to consider women as their running mates. That they said would ensure a fair representation on the decision-making ladder. They made the call at a press briefing in Accra. The Women’s Commissioner of the Ghana Union of Professional Students, Ms Mary Exi Dzakpasu, said women empowerment was an essential tool for achieving transparency and accountability in the governance of the nation. She said, although there had been a minimal increase in the number of women at the various districts, ministries, departments and agencies there was the need for increment since women formed about 53 percent of the country's population. "We agree that to motivate and reward various commendable efforts by females in the country, women should be given the enabling environment for them to work and contribute their quota in critical sectors like governance, education and many other areas," she said. Speaking on the theme "Women Empowerment, the Role of the Ghanaian Woman in Leadership," Ms Dzakpasu noted that a World Bank report had indicated that women were less corrupt, and therefore had the potential to propel Ghana into the middle income status when given the chance. She said should women be given the political mandate, they would change the politics of exclusion, favouritism, cronyism and discrimination and work for the welfare of all Ghanaians, no matter their political, social, religious and ethnic backgrounds. She explained that womanhood did not make it mandatory for women to remain confined to their household chores but rather encouraged them to participate in all national activities. She said women's participation in politics had taken different forms in different countries, adding that the trend could be largely attributed to the actions of women organisations and feminist groups which had created the awareness of the relevance of women's participation in the decision making process. The women's commissioner urged women to take the initiative by empowering themselves by the acquisition of knowledge to enable them to actively participate in decision-making. Source: Daily Graphic