As the dust settles on the 2024 presidential filing process, one glaring fact remains: women’s involvement in Ghana’s presidential elections is still critically low.
Out of the 22 candidates who successfully filed their nominations, only three are women, underscoring the persistent gender gap in the country’s political landscape.
Representing political parties are Nana Akosua Frimpongmaa Sarpong Kumankumah of the Convention People’s Party (CPP) and Akua Donkor of the Ghana Freedom Party (GFP). Joining them is independent candidate Janet Asana Nabla, who stands as the lone woman running without party affiliation. Despite their inclusion, these three women remain outnumbered by their male counterparts, a clear reflection of the deep-rooted challenges women face in accessing the highest levels of political power in Ghana.
Barriers to Female Participation
Several factors contribute to the ongoing underrepresentation of women in Ghana’s presidential race. Political parties—especially the larger, more established ones—are still overwhelmingly dominated by men.
Leadership positions within these parties are often reserved for male figures, making it difficult for women to rise to the top. Even when women do emerge as political leaders, they often face challenges in securing presidential nominations from their parties.
Another significant obstacle is the financial burden of running a competitive presidential campaign. With limited access to resources and funding, women, particularly those outside major political parties, face an uphill battle in mounting viable campaigns.
Although the Jean Mens-led Electoral Commission provided a 25 percent subsidy to women aspirants and persons living with disability, making them pay less than 100 thousand cedis, it appears it was still not enough. Janet Nabla, Madam Akua Donkor and Ama Sarpong Kumakuma were all pleased with the gesture of the Commission
Cultural perceptions further reinforce the idea that politics is a male-dominated field. Many communities still hold on to the belief that men are better suited for national leadership roles, leaving women to contend with societal biases that challenge their capabilities in governance.
A Need for Change
Despite the low female turnout, there are increasing calls for gender parity in Ghanaian politics. Advocates for women’s empowerment argue that to achieve a truly representative democracy, more must be done to break down the barriers preventing women from taking on leadership roles.
This includes creating policies that promote female participation in politics, providing financial support for female candidates, and addressing cultural biases that discourage women from pursuing political careers.
While Akua Donkor, Nana Akosua Frimpongmaa, and Janet Nabla have shown that women are ready to contest for the highest office, their numbers are still too few to signal a significant shift in the political landscape.
The 2024 election may yet be historic, but it remains clear that the road to gender equality in presidential politics is long and arduous. The presence of these three women, however, is a step toward that goal, and with sustained effort, future elections may see more female contenders stepping into the fray.
With President Akufo-Addo set to assent to the Affirmative Action Bill, the quest for gender parity should definitely be easier.
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Election 2024: 22 out of 33 presidential aspirants successfully file to contest slot
