Ama Ata Aidoo describes election aftermath as another independence day

Renowned Ghanaian Author, Poet and Playwright, Ama Ata Aidoo has described the aftermath of Ghana's 2016 election as "another independence day" for Ghana. 

In her view, the contributions from all citizens as well as the International Community provided the impetus for a very successful election. 

Commenting on her role as an eminent women of the "Women's Situation Room", a peace-building mechanism that provided real-time mediation support to citizens during the elections, Ama Ata Aidoo said she views the Women's Situation Room as an organ that can save Africa. 

In this report, Rebecca Ekpe looks at the contribution of the Women's Situation Room, Ghana to Election 2016. 

The Women's Situation Room, WSR, group of Eminent women together with their international counterparts from across Africa began the peace-building process six months in lead up to Ghana's 2016 General Election. 

The process began with series of stake holder engagements, with conflict mitigation activities. Peace marches were held, Inter Party Dialogues, Media Engagements, and other mediation activities across the nation. 

These activities culminated to the opening of a physical Women's Situation Room. 

This operational centre had an eminent women's room, youth room and a call operational centre which provided a direct access to all citizens to report incidents of election violence, anomalies and violence against women. Trained personnel received calls, filed incident reports and referred to the eminent women for resolution. 

Observer groups as well as Election stakeholders like the media, police and the EC were stationed in the physical situation room. 

On Election Day, WSR deployed 400 female observers across the country to monitor the process. 

The WSR recorded 250 cases as reported by citizens from all parts of the country, these included, violence without gunshots, Voter agitation, Concerns with electoral process and logistics. 

The EC on site resolved all issues and the police on site in collaboration with the National Joint Operations Centre and the Regional Security Coordinating Centres resolved all police related incidents reported. 

Following this feat chalked up, an eminent woman of the WSR, Ghana, Ama Ata Aidoo recommends that this peace building mechanism should remain an organ to facilitate democracy on the continent. 

‘’Going forward, we can entertain the possibility that the Women’s Situation Room may turn out to be one of the organs that saved Africa. 

However we imagine Africa being saved will be. I mean we have to; maybe we should throw all modesty aside or some of it and think big and dream big and behalf of the emotions’’. 

Author and Poet Ama Ata Aidoo was elated that Ghana has won another feat as the beacon of hope for Africa. 

“Whatever happens to Ghana, I mean , the thing is, as people are saying, everybody is saying, like it’s going round, you have come, not just to see us through a major crisis, but it’s like you know, another Independence Day for Ghana. And we are very grateful to you for coming ‘’. 

While consolidating gains made in Ghana, the Women's Situation Room are also working at supporting Liberia’s General Election next year. 

GBC