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<p>Vice Chairman of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA)  International, Minister for parliamentary affairs and the Majority leader of Ghana's Parliament, Osei Kyei-Mensah- Bonsu has assured the Inter Parliamentary Union ( IPU) the CPA’s commitment  to equal gender parity and representation. </p>
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<p>Addressing the plenary, Mr.  Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu sas the CPA  is committed to strengthen gender representation and prioritize in all CPA parliament and legislatures.</p>
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<p>“The CPA  amended it’s constitution  to increase women representation at the executives committee level in all legistures during the recent CPA conference held in Halifax Canada. This demonstrate commitment by the CPA to strengthen gender equality and parity in our  parliament” he stressed. </p>
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<p>According  to him, the association believes that some significant progress has been made in the pursuit of gender equality and representation in many commonwealth parliaments. </p>
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<p>“Re- gendering parliament should not be seen as an additional burden to be placed on women parliamentarians alone, but rather gender balance and gender sensitivity can only be achieved when stakeholders bond and band together in addressing and eradicating harmful practices and procedures, formal and informal rules, norms, behaviours, barriers and restrictive cultures” he added. </p>
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<p>He made this statement during a presentation at the ongoing 145th IPU Assembly in Kigali, the capital city of Rwanda under the theme “<strong><em>gender equality and gender-sensitive parliaments as drivers of change for a more resilient and peaceful world”.</em></strong></p>
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<p>The IPU is an international organization of national Parliaments and its primary purpose is to promote democratic governance, accountability, and cooperation among its members. Among its other initiatives, includes advancing gender parity among legislatures, empowering youth participation in politics, and sustainable development.</p>
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<p><strong>Source: aritaglobe.com/agn news </strong></p>
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