The Gender Center for Empowering Development (GenCED), in collaboration with the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI), has held a post-election review to assess the impact, challenges, and opportunities for women’s participation in the 2024 elections.
The forum also explored actionable recommendations to enhance female representation in future political processes.
The event brought together key stakeholders to reflect on the experiences of women candidates, voters, and other participants in the electoral process. Discussions centered on barriers to women’s participation, strategies for empowering female politicians, and the promotion of gender-sensitive electoral policies.
Gender-Sensitive Election Monitoring
Speaking at the forum, Gifty Ofori, Programs/Monitoring and Evaluation Officer at GenCED, emphasized the importance of assessing women’s representation in the 2024 elections.
She noted that GenCED deployed 230 election observers for a gender-sensitive assessment, identifying key issues such as electoral violence, accessibility challenges, limited voter registration, media representation, and financial constraints faced by women candidates.
Despite President John Mahama’s manifesto promise of 30% female representation in governance, current ministerial appointments stand at just 16.7%.
Ofori stressed the need for affirmative action, public awareness, and government accountability to ensure women’s effective participation in leadership and governance.
Canada’s Commitment to Gender Inclusion
Emmanuel Opoku, Political Officer at the High Commission of Canada to Ghana, commended GenCED and its partners for their efforts in promoting inclusive participation in the elections.
“Although the elections did not achieve the desired 30% representation for women in parliament, the progress made would not have been possible without your passionate and collaborative efforts,” he noted.
Opoku highlighted the historic election of H.E. Prof. Nana Jane Opoku-Agyemang as Ghana’s first female Vice President, describing it as a milestone for women’s political representation and the country’s democracy.
He reaffirmed Canada’s commitment to supporting initiatives that advance women’s political participation and prevent gender-based violence and discrimination.
Through the CFLI, the High Commission of Canada supported GenCED in promoting women’s political engagement and ensuring a safer electoral process.
A key initiative was the establishment of a Women’s Situation Room, which deployed 240 observers across Ghana’s 16 regions. This initiative helped detect and prevent incidents of gender-based violence, discrimination, and exclusion on election day.
A Call for Action
Opoku underscored the significance of inclusive governance, stating that the participation of women, youth, persons with disabilities, and marginalized groups is crucial for strong democracies and sustainable peace.
“We know that women’s political participation results in tangible gains for democracy, including greater responsiveness to citizens’ needs, increased cooperation across party lines, and prioritization of key development areas such as health and education,” he said.
He expressed optimism that insights gathered from GenCED’s election observation efforts would contribute to data-driven discussions and effective recommendations to increase women’s representation in governance.
Care Ghana Director Calls for Electoral Reforms to Strengthen Democracy
David Kumi Addo, Executive Director of Care Ghana, also called for reforms to address challenges in Ghana’s recent electoral process, emphasizing inclusivity, transparency, and the rule of law.
Electoral Challenges
Mr. Addo described the process as flawed, citing errors in voter registration and operational inefficiencies within the Electoral Commission (EC). He criticized the EC’s decision to limit registration to district offices, disenfranchising many eligible voters. “Article 42 of the 1992 Constitution guarantees every Ghanaian the right to vote. This must be upheld,” he stressed.
Legal Reforms and Oversight
He urged a review of electoral laws to reduce the EC’s discretionary powers and ensure decisions do not undermine voter rights. “The law must explicitly define the EC’s responsibilities to avoid disenfranchisement,” he stated, advocating for strengthened democratic principles in Ghana.
Civil Society’s Role
Despite being denied EC accreditation, Care Ghana and 11 other CSOs promoted transparency by deploying real-time election result displays in key areas using a custom app, “PollApp.” These efforts helped counter misinformation and restore public trust.
Gender Representation
Mr. Addo praised President Mahama’s commitment to 30% women’s representation but noted that only 15% of appointments have been achieved. “We must prioritize gender inclusivity in governance,” he said.
Way Forward
Mr. Addo called for legal reforms, enhanced transparency, and collaborative stakeholder engagement to safeguard Ghana’s democratic future. “Our electoral processes must inspire confidence and truly reflect the will of the people,” he concluded.
