Include marginalised groups in electoral processes – UNOWAS Representative

Miss Barrie Freeman, Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General at the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), has called for the inclusion of marginalised groups in electoral processes. She called on stakeholders to ensure that persons with disabilities, women and young people were actively included and heard in the electoral processes prior to the 2024 elections. She made the call at a National Stakeholders' Forum to Promote Peaceful 2024 Elections in Ghana. The forum, held in Tamale, was organised by the National Peace Council with funding from the UNOWAS. It was to enhance public awareness of preventing vigilantism and electoral violence in politics, striving for a peaceful and credible 2024 election. It was on the theme: 'Building Trust for Peaceful 2024 Elections'. Participants included traditional, religious, education and Civil Society Organisation (CSO) leaders, to deliberate on strategies aimed at fostering peace during the upcoming elections. Representatives of the Electoral Commission (EC) and security services were also there. Ms Freeman emphasised that the event offered a critical opportunity to contemplate the fundamental aspects essential for credible elections, such as ensuring the participation and inclusion of marginalised groups whose position in society required special attention. She said the theme for the occasion was a reminder that the credibility of elections as well as acceptance of results hinged on confidence among stakeholders, adding that ensuring violent-free elections was everyone's business. She urged stakeholders to strengthen collaboration through continuous dialogue in pursuit of a peaceful election and build trust in the electoral process at all levels and among all actors. She acknowledged the role of political parties in ensuring peace, saying their participation in the forum was a sign of trust and a demonstration of their willingness to engage in constructive dialogue. Source: Ghana News Agency