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Gender advocates, Women in Law and Development in Africa (WiLDAF Ghana), says it is outraged by the the stereotyping of sacked deputy Communications Minister, Victoria Hamah. WiLDAF in a statement signed by Frank Wilson Bodza, Programme Manager for Governance, said it believes the former Deputy Communications Minister was dismissed because of her gender. The statement claimed many people in the past have committed worse offences but have not been kicked out of government as happened to Ms. Hamah. �It is therefore unacceptable that in the case of Ms. Hammah, her gender is apparently the focus than the issues. Unfortunately, such biased discussion only perpetuates gender stereotyping. �Further, men who made serious public statements, some of which bordered on security and attacks on public officers, are still in government.� The group is calling on President John Mahama to explain to Ghanaians the reasons for dismissing the Deputy Minister. �This will help dispel the rumours surrounding her dismissal,� it stated. WiLDAF said it expects a full investigation to ascertain the veracity of claims made by Ms Hamah on a leaked tape which went viral. Below is the full statement WiLDAF Ghana Expresses Concerns about the Victoria Hammah Tape Saga Women in Law and Development in Africa (WiLDAF Ghana) is concerned about the summary dismissal of Ms. Victoria Hammah, Deputy Minister for Communication, as a result of a leaked recording of a conversation she had carried out with another person. Not condoning any unethical behaviour by a public figure, nor justifying the issues which the Deputy Minister had talked about, WiLDAF Ghana is concerned about the biased discussions and comments by some segments of the public which seek to generally denigrate women, particularly women in political leadership. There are several women in Government holding key positions such as Chief Justice, Attorney General, Ministers and Members of Parliament, therefore general denigration of women in leadership does not do justice to the good work that these women are doing. We note that previous public discussions on leaked tapes involving men in political office were discussed by the public without reference to their gender but focused on issues of accountability, corruption, and transparency. It is therefore unacceptable that in the case of Ms. Hammah, her gender is apparently the focus than the issues. Unfortunately, such biased discussion only perpetuates gender stereotyping. Further, men who made serious public statements, some of which bordered on security and attacks on public officers, are still in government. We expect a full investigation to ascertain the implications of the issues raised in the purported tape on governance, democracy, constitutionality and legality. The security agencies should also look at the issues of privacy and recording of private conversations without prior consent, which seems to be gaining acceptance in the country. It is equally important for the President of Ghana to explain to Ghanaians the reasons for sacking the Deputy Minister. This will help dispel the rumours surrounding her dismissal. Again, the Government should inform the public about whether Ms. Victoria Hammah was given a fair hearing prior to being dismissed as this will enhance transparency in government decision -making processes. Recently, the President called on women�s rights civil society groups to come to the defense of women in leadership who may come under attack, but we have no records or reports on whether Ms Victoria Hammah was defended by the President or given any platform to explain herself. WiLDAF appeals to the public to discuss the Victoria Hammah tape with a practical and unbiased approach to determine the merits and demerits of what was said. We expect that unbiased and constructive discussions on issues of governance lead to a distillation of lessons that could support people in leadership to perform optimally. In addition, we call on all public office holders to be circumspect in their utterances and actions, and to put to use the ethics that come with public positions of trust. Signed