Dr. Bossman Asare, Deputy Chairman of the Electoral Commission (EC), has expressed disappointment over the low number of female candidates participating in the 2024 general elections, highlighting what he views as a troubling gender imbalance in political representation.
Speaking at a forum held in Winneba with key religious leaders and representatives from political parties, Dr Asare emphasised the importance of inclusive electoral participation, noting that only 120 women are contesting parliamentary seats out of more than 800 candidates nationwide.
The forum, held under the theme “Enhancing the Electoral Process and Fostering Peaceful Co-existence,” was organised to discuss pressing issues surrounding the upcoming elections and promote a collaborative approach to ensuring a fair and peaceful process.
During his address, Dr Asare pointed out that, despite efforts by the Electoral Commission to encourage greater female involvement in politics, including a reduction in filing fees for female candidates and persons with disabilities, participation among women remains disappointingly low.
Despite this financial incentive, Dr. Asare noted that the number of female candidates remains discouragingly low, a trend that he described as “unfortunate.” He pointed out that women’s representation in politics is essential for fostering balanced decision-making and ensuring that the needs and perspectives of all demographics are addressed in national policies.
Dr Asare also stressed that low female representation in parliament does not only affect gender equality but also limits the broader socio-political progress that diversity brings to governance.
“In this year’s nomination, the filing fee for female candidates and persons with disabilities was reduced by 25 percent. So for the presidential election, male candidates paid GH¢100,000 and the female candidates and persons with disabilities also paid GH¢75,000.
“And for the Parliamentary elections, male candidates paid GH¢10,000 and the female candidates and persons with disabilities paid GH¢7,500 and the idea was to encourage more women to take part in the process but unfortunately the numbers that came were not very encouraging.”
