Mother’s Day: Prominent Christian leaders back elevation of women in politics

Two prominent Christian leaders have added their voice to calls for political parties to elevate females to high positions of power.

Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church of Ghana, Dr. Paul Kwabena Boafo, and Rev. Enoch Nii Narh Thompson, Executive President of the Ghana Baptist Convention, shared their views during separate sermons to mark this year’s Mother’s Day celebration yesterday.

These calls for increased female representation in politics come at a critical juncture as Ghana prepares for the 2024 general elections, with gender equality and representation taking center stage.

The call resonates with a broader audience advocating for gender equality and increased female participation in leadership roles across all sectors in Ghana.

The messages of the two Christian leaders underscore the importance of gender diversity in leadership roles and advocate for the active involvement of women in shaping the country’s political landscape.

President of the Methodist Church of Ghana, Dr. Boafo, has called on the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) to follow the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) in selecting a female running mate for the upcoming 2024 elections.

During a sermon at the Most Rev Kwesi Dickson Memorial Methodist Church in Adjiringanor yesterday, which coincided with Mother’s Day, Dr. Boafo commended the NDC for their progressive step and stressed the importance of women in leadership roles.

“I know it is a good thing as it shows how important our mothers and our women are,” Dr. Boafo stated, adding, “I pray that the others will also learn and copy from this to show yes indeed in celebrating women it is not just for celebrating but that we will bring them to the front burner and make them part and parcel of our political landscape.”

Dr. Boafo emphasized the critical roles women play in society and challenged political entities to integrate more women into significant positions, especially within the political spectrum.

“Celebrating women should bring us to the table to understand that yes indeed these mothers and these women, we should see how we can bring them into the political landscape,” he asserted.

According to him, Mother’s Day is a very important day in many parts of the world as the day is dedicated to celebrating motherhood and the phenomenal roll have been playing in our lives.

He admonished the congregation to consider the essence and importance of mothers in their protection and upbringing and use the Church as a mother.

Dr. Boafo argued that without the church as a mother, one cannot have God as a father adding that God established the Church as a mother to all of human creation.

He said, “We are not only celebrating mothers and women but we see your value, we see your importance, we see what you bring to the table and what you bring to society.”

“It is not just a celebration to acknowledge what mothers do but to also look into the future as to what our mothers can continue to do for our societies, families, in our churches, in our political landscape and the entire Ghana.

The church leader also took the opportunity to urge all eligible Ghanaians, especially women, to participate actively in the electoral process by registering to vote.

“Don’t wait to be called by a party and to hold your hand to go to the registration center and then it becomes a struggle,” he urged.

Rev. Thompson, Executive President of the Ghana Baptist Convention, speaking at the Messiah Baptist Church during the 2024 Mothers’ Day celebration, at Tabora-Israel, encouraged mothers to aspire to political office, and for political parties to consider empowering women to rise to high office in national politics.