The vice presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Prof.

Jane Naana  Opoku-Agyemang, has given the assurance that the next NDC government will initiate deliberate policies and programmes to support women empowerment.  Addressing traders at the Kejetia Market on Wednesday as part of her campaign tour of the  Ashanti Region, Prof.

Opoku-Agyemang said policies and programmes such as the  establishment of a Women's Development Bank, Markets Enhancement Programme,  National Apprenticeship Programme and 24-Hour Economy will empower the people of  Ghana, especially women and the youth.  "It is time we change our voting pattern as women and stop saying we always vote in a  particular way while we don't see any development.

Those days are past and we should vote  for someone who is development-oriented like John Dramani Mahama to implement his  good policies to help empower women", she said.  Prof.