Women Underrepresentation in Politics: A Case Study of Okai Koi South and Cape Coast North Constituencies in Ghana.

Abstract

The need for more female political participation has featured in both developed and underdeveloped countries over the years. Researchers have demonstrated that women political representation in Ghana remain low. Little or nothing is known about the challenges and experiences Ghanaian women face in their quest to get actively involved in the political affairs of their respective constituencies, although international laws grant women political participation rights. This thesis seeks to determine the factors that may affect women numeric underrepresentation in Ghanaian politics and present some internal measures to improve their participation in these two constituencies: OkaiKoi South and Cape Coast North. To achieve this goal, a qualitative research design was adopted for this study using interviews and focus group discussions to gather data from thirteen participants to assess participatory roles of women in grassroots level politics. The researcher’s analysis suggests that women underrepresentation in Ghana’s politics stem from a combination of factors which can be broadly categorized under structural, political, and ideological, thus reinforcing the findings of the literature (Kunovich & Paxton, 2005). Additionally, the results from the findings showed that political and ideological factors often become the main inherent factors to women political representation in the two constituencies. The study further suggested the empowerment of women economically by enrolling them in vocations amongst other to improve their self-confidence, favourable selection criterion to ensure equal and fair participation, educational and financial support, training residents to accept wo men right to participation, and eliminating all forms of political violence and abuse at the constituency level. This study contributes to the wider discourse on gender and politics by providing a framework for understanding the factors that deter women from participating in grassroots level politics.