The Youth Parliament of the SD Dombo University of Business and Integrated Development Studies (SDD-UBIDS) has held its first sitting of the first session of the eleventh parliament, deliberating on positions of power in society.
Under the motion, "Resolved, that positions of power should be awarded based on merit rather than gender equality," the youth parliamentarians held intellectual arguments on the subject.
The sitting, on February 9, 2025, also allowed the swearing-in of new members of the youth parliament.
Speaker of Parliament, SDD-UBIDS, Ms. Ida Adiyone Alira said the motion for debate was tailored to addressing concerns of gender representation across various facets of leadership within the society.
She noted that the sitting intended to throw light on the subject of gender equality and the advocacy for the representation of diverse voices at the table of leadership and decision-making.
"There is a rising fight for gender equality and this sitting provided a holistic appreciation of this cause," she said.
Commenting on the motion on the floor of the SDD-UBIDS Youth Parliament, Mr Aminu Ibrahim, Majority Leader of the Upper West Regional Youth Parliament, emphasized the importance of representation of the various demographics of society in leadership and decision-making.
He said, "In our society, we know, for far too long, some section our society has been marginalized through our cultural norms and historical biases," and urged that the gap could only be bridged through conscious efforts at promoting representation.
"I see the motion as one that is not merely about fairness but also it has a broader connotation, that we must give consideration to the implications of having people who represent the different demographics within our society – women, children, young people, persons with disabilities, and vulnerable groups that we can identify," he said.
Mrs. Vida Addi, the Upper West Regional Director of the National Youth Authority (NYA), commended the youth parliamentarians on their commitment to parliamentary duties and urged them to keep it up.
She admonished them to work at recruiting more members to join the youth parliament, urging them to adopt the strategy of "one soul, one new member" in calling friends and coursemates to join.
"The NYA stands as a mother organization for the youth parliament, we want to take responsibility for that purpose, whatever it takes to support, once it is available, we will deliver," she assured the parliament.
Mr. James Baba Anabiga, the Speaker of the Upper West Regional Youth Parliament, urged the SDD-UBIDS Youth parliamentarians to take their duties and responsibilities seriously as parliamentarians, assuring that they will "go places" if they remain committed.
"Don't take it [Youth Parliament] for granted, it will take you places. Don't think of getting cash from here, but the non-cash benefits that you can drive from joining youth parliament is uncountable and unmeasured," he said.
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