By Benedicta Naa Odarkor Ablateye, Communications Officer, ACEPA
Around the world, women’s representation in parliaments is rising, driven largely by deliberate reforms such as gender quotas, reserved seats, and party-level mandates. Countries like Rwanda, Senegal, and Sierra Leone offer instructive examples of how targeted interventions can change the face of political leadership.
In Rwanda, a pioneering quota system – introduced after the 2003 elections and supported by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) – reserves seats specifically for women in both houses of Parliament. Today, Rwanda boasts one of the highest rates of female parliamentary representation globally.
Senegal follows closely. Between 1995 and 2015, women’s representation in its legislature jumped from 11.7% to 42.7%, thanks to a 2012 amendment to the electoral law mandating full gender parity. The law not only requires party lists to be evenly split between men and women but also to alternate by gender; non-compliant lists are rejected.
In Sierra Leone, the Gender Empowerment Act of 2021 requires that 30% of parliamentary constituency seats in each district be reserved for women. The 2022 Public Elections Act further mandates that one out of every three candidates nominated for Parliament must be female. These policies are reshaping the country’s political landscape and amplifying women’s voices in governance.
So, where does Ghana stand in this picture? Are we advancing – or merely marking time?
Ghana’s Slow March Toward Gender Parity
Since the advent of the Fourth Republic in 1993, Ghana has made only incremental progress in women’s political representation. In the 1996 elections, only 18 women were elected to Parliament – just 9% of the total. As of July 2025, there are 41 women MPs in the 9th Parliament, representing roughly 14.2% of the 275 seats. While this marks a slight improvement, it still falls short – especially in a country where women make up over 50% of the population.
Worse still, the 2024 party primaries saw a notable decline in female participation, with several incumbent women MPs losing their seats. This raises concerns about the possibility of even lower female representation in future legislatures.
The Affirmative Action (Gender Equity) Act, 2024: A Turning Point?
Ghana’s passage of the long-awaited Affirmative Action Gender Equity Act in 2024 was a significant milestone. The law aims to increase women’s participation in public life, including Parliament. However, legislation alone is not enough. Without robust implementation, enforcement, and monitoring, the Act risks becoming a symbolic gesture rather than a transformative force.
Why Is Progress So Slow?
Several systemic barriers continue to undermine women’s political participation in Ghana:
- Political parties act as gatekeepers, yet many lack internal policies that prioritize gender inclusion.
- Campaign financing remains a major hurdle, with women often lacking the resources needed to run effective campaigns.
- Deep-seated gender norms and cultural stereotypes deter women from entering politics or lead to diminished community support.
- Limited access to mentorship and leadership training leaves many potential women leaders unprepared.
- There are no constitutional or electoral safeguards that require political parties to ensure female representation before elections proceed.
What Must Change: Concrete Steps Forward
- Mandate gender representation within political parties. Parties should revise their constitutions to require a minimum percentage of female candidates, backed by real investment in campaign support and visibility.
- Introduce constitutional or legislative quotas, reserving a specific number of parliamentary seats for women, similar to Rwanda’s model.
- Establish a national campaign fund to support female candidates, particularly at the primary level where most are eliminated.
- Launch a sustained national education campaign to challenge gender stereotypes and promote female leadership.
- Monitor the implementation of the Affirmative Action Act through independent civil society and state agencies.
- Reserve seats at the party level for female candidates to secure early and consistent representation in the political pipeline.
Conclusion: Time for Urgent Action
Ghana has taken some positive steps, but the pace of change remains unacceptably slow. Women, who make up more than half of the population – continue to be vastly underrepresented in Parliament and across decision-making platforms.
This gender imbalance isn’t just a women’s issue; it’s a governance issue. When women are absent from the legislative table, policy decisions risk ignoring the lived experiences, needs, and perspectives of a large part of the population.
If Ghana is to achieve true gender equality and inclusive governance, we must act boldly and decisively. That means supporting, empowering, and electing more women – not tomorrow, but today.
Read our blog on “Restoring Integrity in Ghana’s Parliament: Rethinking Immunity and Ethics”