Accra, Ghana//-Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) says it is poised to speed up the growth of the country’s emerging podcast industry, following the launch of its podcast.
The newly launched innovative podcast dubbed-‘Democracy Dialogues’ is meant to provide relevant information to everybody especially the youth on issues of democracy, governance, human rights, sustainable development and other related critical issues in Ghana, Africa and beyond.
Speaking to journalists after the launch in Accra on Thursday, January 30, 2025, the Director of Policy Engagement and Partnerships at CDD-Ghana, Dr Kojo Asante was confident that the podcast would provide valuable content to breach the information gap between the old and the young.
He was quick to add that podcast is designed to inform Ghanaians on critical issues thereby helping them to gain a deeper understanding to enable them to make informed decisions.
Dr Asante also revealed that the podcast which is in English language will be aired on the CDD-Ghana YouTube channel. Plans are at foot to roll out the Twi language version of the podcast on the channel for the large Twi language-speaking and listening community in the West African country.
The immediate past Ambassador of Ghana to France and Portugal, Anna Bossman who performed the launch commended CDD-Ghana for coming out with the innovation to educate, inform, and entertain the people.
The Chair of CDD-Ghana Governing Board, Profesor Audrey Gadzekpo who moderated the maiden edition of the podcast on the country’s Affirmative Action Law, noted that although Ghana now has a female Vice President, the country needs to do more on female participation in politics and governance.
Senior Fellow of CDD-Ghana and an Emerita Professor of African Studies at the University of Ghana, Takyiwaa Manuh who was on the panel said: “If you look at the Affirmative Law that has been passed, in clause 20 there are obligations on political parties to put effective measures in place to achieve gender equity in pollical representation”.
She added that; “it includes provision of information, and financial resources to support gender equality. So, the issue about the sponsorship of candidates for elections and appointments to party positions are there, and political parties are actually supposed to submit annual reports to the Electoral Commission and the Election Commissions then publish those reports in the gazette”.
The Awutu Senya East National Democratic Congress (NDC) MP in the Central Region, Phyllis Naa Koryoo who described the show as one of the best social programmes that could positively impact lives if Ghanaians pay attention to it, however, noted that it is not easy for women to participate in politics.
This according to her is due to the numerous social and economic barriers including intimidation from their male opponents, and lack of financial resources.
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament for Afigya Kwabre South in the Ashanti Region, Damata Ama Appianimaa Salam urged Ghanaians to take advantage of the valuable content the podcast provides to shape their lives and called for support for women in politics to help propel the socio-economic development of the country.
