A mammoth crowd of women from across the political divide and different walks of life on Tuesday took to the streets of Accra to demand justice, equality, dignity and the protection of constitutional rights.
The peaceful demonstration, held under the banner “Women’s Voices Matter,” brought together women from political parties, markets, businesses and other sections of society.
The protesters assembled at the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) Park from 6:00 a.m. and marched through the principal streets of Accra before proceeding to the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, where they presented a petition to the sector Minister, Dr Agnes Naa Momo Lartey.
The demonstration was convened by PNP Chairperson Janet Asana Nabla, NDP Chairperson and Leader Betty Akuffo Amoabeng, LGP Running Mate Elizabeth Sam, Advisor on Gender and Social Protection to the NPP Flagbearer, Akosua Asaa Manu, and NPP Gender and Social Protection Committee Spokesperson Grace Akosua Amoabeng.
Market women, hairdressers, dressmakers, kayayei and other women also joined the march, making it a broad-based mobilisation beyond political structures.
The protesters carried placards and raised concerns over what they described as growing threats to the rights, dignity and freedoms of women.
Their concerns come amid a series of arrests involving women and other citizens, particularly over political commentary, social media activity and alleged offensive or false statements.
One of the cases cited was that of Salomey Awity Baffoe, a 40-year-old mother of three, who was arrested in connection with investigations into the social media account known as “Ghana Jollof” and subsequently arraigned before the courts.
The organisers stressed, however, that the demonstration was not centred on a single case but sought to draw attention to broader concerns about the treatment of citizens and the protection of constitutional freedoms.
They called for the enforcement of the law to be balanced with due process, human dignity and freedom of expression, insisting that citizens should be able to express their views and criticisms within the confines of the law without fear of arbitrary treatment.
The cross-party nature of the demonstration was notable, with women associated with different political traditions joining forces around demands they said transcended partisan interests.
At the Ministry of Gender, the organisers presented their petition to Dr Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, formally setting out their concerns and demands for action.
With placards raised and chants of “Enough is Enough” echoing through parts of Accra, the protesters said they would not remain silent on issues affecting the rights and dignity of women.
