NGO wants female POS mayor

This was the call yesterday from the Network of NGOs for the Advancement of Women ahead of Monday’s local government elections.

In a statement, the Network said, “We have still not elected a woman mayor in Port of Spain, the only City not yet to have done so. Yes it is time to repeat the old cry, ‘Put a Woman, to work for you in Local Government.’” The Network also noted that the ruling People’s National Movement (PNM) has done more to create opportunities for women in Local Government than the Opposition United National Congress (UNC), even though the UNC has more female candidates in its slate for next Monday’s polls. The Network said of the 112 women facing the polls, there are 58 from the UNC and 44 from the PNM. There are ten women from other political parties contesting the elections. In the 134 electoral districts, the Network said there are nine districts in which the candidates are all women.

“The region with the highest number of women is Tunapuna with 17, the lowest being Mayaro/ Rio Claro with two,” the Network said. The Network also said that a gender analysis of the 2013 Local Govermnent Elections,”revealed that the PNM was ahead in securing positions for women.”