The National Association of Local Authorities of Ghana (NALAG) has attributed the recent loss of female incumbent Members of Parliament (MP) to the limited participation of women in district-level elections.
NALAG contended that societal biases, viewing women as unfit for political roles, significantly contribute to the recurrent defeat of women in both national and district-level polls.
This observation follows the New Patriotic Party parliamentary primaries on January 27, 2024, where 28 incumbent MPs, notably including female representatives like Adwoa Safo, MP for the Dome Kwabenya constituency, were unsuccessful in their reelection bids.
“I think that the assembly level should be a training ground to aspire to higher political office, and so in a situation where we have 14.5% in the 2020 elections as female MPs who were elected to parliament and today we are seeing the numbers decrease from what we experienced in 2020, then we ought to be alarmed. We may not even get 14% in the national parliament and that is very worrying.”
“As of now, we have not been able to kill the stereotype and the prejudices we have against women when it comes to leadership. However, leadership must take decisive action to implement Affirmative Action.”
The gender disparity extended to the district-level elections, with only 4.1% of elected officials being women, while men constituted a dominant 95.9%.
NALAG’s General Secretary, Kokro Amankwah, emphasized the importance of district-level elections as a foundational step in women’s political involvement, expressing concern about the declining numbers of female MPs.
Mr Amankwah highlighted the need to challenge stereotypes and prejudices against women in leadership roles.
He stressed that while the district level might pose challenges, the political landscape should become more favorable for women as they ascend the ranks.
In response to the situation, NALAG and the Network for Women’s Rights are urging President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to appoint 60% women to the Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies.
They advocate for decisive action, including the implementation of Affirmative Action, to address gender imbalances in leadership roles. The Local Government Act, 2016 (Act 936), allows the president to appoint 30% of Assembly members, with the remaining 70% elected.