![]() ![]() This demonstration of independence was refreshing as back home in Kenya, you seldom see female motorbike (boda-boda) or scooter riders.ĭuring the focus groups, we had several thought-provoking discussions on their participation in political parties where they not only identified the barriers but also how these manifest themselves and interlink with each other. ![]() Local women political party members arrived at our focus group location on scooters as well. As I entered Tamale for the first time, I saw a large number of women going about their daily business in town on gas-powered scooters. Education also seemed to be a very big factor in Kumasi as most of the discussants expressed how getting a good education was the key to them overcoming some of these barriers.Īfter observing several FGDs in Kumasi, I made my way to Tamale, the capital of Ghana’s Northern Region. “The fact that the word ‘man’ is in that word means that the seat is not meant for us women,” exclaimed one of the women political party members. At some point, they all burst out laughing in amusement when our focus group moderator declared her secret ambition to become the ‘Chairman’ of a political party – like it was a really herculean task. Women political party members reported that while they viewed themselves as ‘full members’ of their political parties, they had not managed to ascend to executive party positions. Though 276 km apart the situation there was not any different from the one Accra. I later traveled to Kumasi, a city in the Ashanti Region. I noted that while women in Ghana do not struggle with identifying with or committing to a political party, they do face roadblocks when it comes to ascending to positions of power within those political parties. As a native of Kenya, where our political parties and coalitions evolve with every electoral cycle, it was interesting to know that most of the women participating in the FGDs had been members of their respective political parties for years-in fact, most told us they were ‘born into their respective parties.’ I kept wondering how this kind of loyalty could potentially translate into meaningful gains for the women but as the discussions continued, I realized it’s not as easy as it sounds. I kicked off my trip by observing a series of focus group discussions (FGDs) that brought together women political party members in Accra. I was, therefore, eager to see if the political enviroment had changed for women two years later. While Ghana’s democracy may be thriving, women remain underrepresented in Ghanaian politics as observed by IRI’s 2016 pre-electoral assessement team. Having just come out of a protracted electoral process in Kenya, I was excited to travel back to Ghana, a country that is viewed by many as the beacon of democracy in Africa. This was my second trip to Ghana, having first visited this thriving democracy in 2016 when I served as part of a delegation that conducted a pre-electoral gender assessment. In the past five years, Sierra Leone, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea and Zambia have abolished the death penalty.I recently traveled to Ghana as an observer to support IRI’s research project on identifying the barriers to women’s participation in political parties. In 2022, death sentences were confirmed in 52 countries, four less than in 2021, according to Amnesty International.Īt least 883 executions were recorded last year – a 53% rise since 2021. Ghana is the 124th country to abolish the death penalty 41 other countries are considered to have de facto bans as they have not carried out an execution for more than 10 years. I introduced these bills because I wanted the courts to cease imposing an inhuman punishment.” ![]() It was my view that we as a nation were better than this. “I have also seen that those sentenced to death tend to be vulnerable individuals from deprived backgrounds, who have often experienced deep personal trauma. “I have seen firsthand that the death penalty does not bring a sense of justice or closure to the families of crime victims, and neither does it deter offenders,” he told the Guardian. The country’s president, Nana Akufo-Addo, needs to sign the bill into law before it comes into force.įrancis-Xavier Kojo Sosu, the Ghanian MP behind the bill, hailed the decision. Ghana has not carried out an execution since 1993, but courts have continued to hand down death sentences, including seven last year. ![]() The death sentence can still be given for acts of high treason, and campaigners cautioned that the country’s constitution would have to change for a complete removal of the penalty. On Tuesday, Ghana’s parliament voted to amend the country’s criminal offences act, removing the use of capital punishment for crimes including murder, genocide, piracy and smuggling. ![]()
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