Women in Broadcasting, a group working in the media in the Upper East Region has embarked on its maiden peace campaign in the Talensi District.
The exercise which will be replicated in other districts in the region, is meant to create awareness on the need to protect the peace in the area and Ghana as a whole, as the country draws close to the major elections in December.
Across the globe, women and children have been identified as the most affected in times of violent conflict, which exacerbates poverty levels and compounds the burden of care for women within households.
As part of the campaign, members of the group, who are working in various media houses in the region, were on Saturday, October 5, 2024, seen in the principal streets of Tongo carrying placards some of which read “political parties are for development, not violence, vote for peace. Vote for progress, it’s about your ballot, not bullets, the peaceful transfer of power is good for Ghana” among others to communicate the need for peace.
With a megaphone in hand, they spoke and engaged traders in the Tongo market on the need to preach peace and conduct themselves peacefully, before and after the elections.
Speaking to the Media, the President of Women in Broadcasting, Humul Khrusum Tahiru, noted that women often are the ones left to bear the brunt of violent conflict adding violence compounds poverty levels.
Ahead of the elections, she is urging supporters of political parties to desist from engaging in any activity that will jeopardize the country’s peace.
“As we are approaching the general elections, we feel that there is a need to advocate peace in various areas because women are mostly affected by violence. When men are hurt, it affects women in so many ways,” she noted.
She also called on supporters and leaders of political parties not to incite people to engage in violence but rather be civil with their actions and utterances all through the electioneering campaign.
“Political parties will come and go and we need to know that whoever wins will not solve all your problems so we should support political parties with some amount of caution, listen to their messages, and choose them when the time comes if we feel their Messages are right for us and not to fight among ourselves,” she admonished.
Before the walk, the group called on the Paramount Chief of the Talensi Traditional Area, Tongraan Kugbilson Nalebegtang, who urged them to remain professional in discharging their duties.
The revered Chief also urged political actors to conduct themselves civilly, adding members of the public should place development ahead of anything else as they cast their ballots.
