Women's underrepresentation in politics worrying

The just-ended parliamentary election in Ghana has once again highlighted the persistent challenge of women's underrepresentation in political leadership.

Despite efforts to promote gender equality and increase women's participation in politics, the numbers remain dismal.

As of 2022, only 26.1 per cent of all national parliamentarians globally were women, and Ghana is no exception.

In the 2020 general election, Ghana's Parliament recorded 40 female Members of Parliament (MPs) which was 14.5 per cent and 235 males, accounting for 85.4 per cent of male MPs.

The situation at the local assembly level is even worse as the number of women elected over the years has declined.

Several factors contribute to this underrepresentation. Research has shown that intimidation, the lack of recognition and illiteracy are major obstacles to women's participation in politics.

Additionally, women face significant barriers in accessing resources to finance their campaigns, and they often encounter gender-based violence and discrimination.

The lack of political will by parties to support women candidates, in the view of the Daily Graphic, is another significant challenge.

Parties often consciously or unconsciously put men forward as candidates in their strongholds, perpetuating the notion that men are more electable. 

The Daily Graphic, however, thinks that this mindset must change if Ghana is to make progress in promoting gender equality in politics.

In the December 12 issue of the Daily Graphic, we reported that the African Union Election Observation Mission (AUEOM) to Ghana noted that although the majority of voters in the 2024 general election were women, they were considerably underrepresented in all elective positions.

It noted that with a total number of 9,689,980 registered voters being women, only one female was a candidate out of the 12 presidential candidates, while in the parliamentary ballot, there were 119 female candidates, representing 17 per cent compared to 682 males.

The mission also noted that the youth and persons with disabilities (PWDs) were underrepresented as candidates. It, however, commended the 25 per cent reduction in filing fees to GH¢75,000 for women and PWDs and the EC's provision of tactile ballots for visually impaired voters.

It suggested to the government and Parliament to strengthen its commitment to gender equality by implementing measures that aligned with the African Union Agenda 2063 and international benchmarks such as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).

The paper is of the view that the passage of the Affirmative Action Act (Act 1121) is a good move which will help increase women’s participation in decision-making positions as the new government will be obliged to work with the Act.

Many countries that have achieved gender parity in decision-making positions across the world such as Rwanda, South Africa and Uganda used affirmative action policies such as quotas to increase women's representation in politics and Ghana’s Affirmative Action Act will be the game-changer for women’s participation in such positions when fully implemented.

Also, political parties must prioritise women's empowerment and provide support for women candidates. This includes providing resources for campaigns, training and mentoring.

Civil society organisations (CSOs) and women's groups such as ABANTU for Development, FIDA and NETRIGHT, among others, have done a lot to ensure that more women move into decision-making spaces by building their capacity and providing them with some form of support to promote women's participation in politics.

The CSOs work in raising awareness of the importance of women's representation and challenging discriminatory attitudes and practices are also commendable as it has contributed to many people now understanding why they should vote for women when they stand for elections.

The Daily Graphic also believes that media practitioners have a critical role to play in promoting women's representation in politics. By providing equal coverage to women candidates and highlighting their achievements, the media can help to challenge stereotypes and promote a more inclusive and equitable political landscape.

We can’t be oblivious of the fact that the underrepresentation of women in elective positions in the country is a persistent challenge that requires urgent attention.

By implementing affirmative action policies, prioritising women's empowerment, promoting their participation in politics and challenging discriminatory attitudes and practices, we can promote a more inclusive and equitable political landscape.

It is time for Ghana to take bold steps to address this challenge and promote gender equality in politics.