Women’s Participation in Decision Making in Public and Political Spheres in Ghana: Constrains and Strategies

Abstract

The participation of women in public and political decision making process is a gender issue which has attracted a lot of attention. Despite constituting 51.2 per cent of the population, women in Ghana are still underrepresented in political and public decision making. Despite several instruments that make provision for women’s participation in political and public life, they still face numerous challenges. This paper examines existing literature on political and public decision making in order to (a) highlight the current status of women’s participation in political and public life, (b) identify factors that affect the participation of women in decision making and (c) give recommendations on what can be done to promote the participation of women in decision making at high levels. In Ghana, there are disparities between men and women with regard to equal access to public and political positions. Patriarchy, women playing multiple roles, lack of resources, male dominated work patterns are some of the factors that hinder the participation of women in political decision making processes. Strategies which include introduction of quotas, women empowerment and enforcement of affirmative action policies are suggested.

Keywords: Strategies, Response, Participation, Decision making, Ghana, Gender