Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung@ 40 in Ghana 4.7 Institutional Strengthening and Development. Through its collaborative relationship with the women's movement in Ghana, particularly the Women's Manifesto Coalition, FES has succeeded in making a valuable contribution to the institutional development of women's organisations in Ghana. The relationships are based on mutual respect, trust, accountability and transparency. The nature of the cooperation relationships also allows the women's groups to implement some of their programmes which they would otherwise have sourced funding for. In so doing both the technical and political project of promoting gender equality as a process to enhance broader public interest is significantly expanding. 5.0 Improving the State of Affairs on Gender Equality Promotion The achievement of gender equality depends on making demands on power holders to demonstrate accountability to women by meeting international, regional and national commitments to women's rights and gender equality. As the evidence highlighted throughout this document shows, FES has made significant progress supporting women's organisations to build their movements to achieve this. In Ghana there is some marked improvement in national interest and responses to women's needs in areas such as education. This means that the situation can change in other areas as well particularly in the area of politics and public life. How the FES positions itself to effect relevant changes in policies to impact positively on women's representation in public life is a major challenge ahead. It can do this by supporting the women's movement to develop the needed political leverage and power to see that mandates become changed practices. Women's collective action is the most powerful means for overcoming barriers, strengthening women's voices and promoting their rights. Women's representation at all levels of decision-making in government, the economy and the community level is critical for issues of concern to women to be addressed. 34