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Former Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Nana Oye Lithur has pressed home the need for female politicians to develop ‘thick-skin’ attitude in order to withstand the insults and vile attacks that will be directed at them.

Speaking at the maiden edition of the Progressive Organisation for Women's Advancement (POWA) forum at the British Council in Accra, Tuesday, October 31, she held that many women have had their wishes of engaging in politics and contribute to the development of the nation quashed by incessant attacks and insults from opponents.

Using herself as an example of a thick-skinned woman, Nana Oye Lithur disclosed how she refused to bow to pressure from close relatives for her to prematurely end her political career.

“I have a very thick skin. You can insult me from the beginning to the end but once I’m convinced that I’m going this way, I’m going this way. Many others (women) do not have that thick skin. Many other women can contribute significantly to the development of this dear nation but because of insults, they just back off”, she said.

Nana Oye Lithur added that, “I remember in 2014 as a minister, I received a call from my six-year-old niece with a message that Auntie Oye they are insulting on the radio, they don’t like you. Then I got another call from Mr Lithur asking me to call our daughter because she is in tears saying that somebody is threatening to kill me. I just told him I’m in a meeting so he should drop the call and call back later. My brother also called asking me why I even went into politics because he is receiving a lot calls about me but because I have a thick skin, I did not back off."

The POWA Forum is expected to take place in every quarter of the year as its agenda rides on.

It is a platform designed to engage persons of diverse backgrounds in a series of conversations to facilitate the development of women.

It is uniquely positioned to initiate women’s interest conversations, as a means to generate national attention on gender topical issue discussions by engaging influential, inspirational, innovative and incisive thinkers from across genders, professions and careers.

The Forum will purposely add vital ideas via various voices to advance a gender policy framework in the Country - by engaging a variety of individuals with diverse backgrounds, in discussions on issues that affect Women - so as to constructively change the consciousness of society towards women for the better.