WOMEN PARTICIPATION IN LOCAL GOVERNANCE
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WOMEN PARTICIPATION IN LOCAL GOVERNANCE
CHAPITRE ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background Of The Study
Participation in politics is a critical aspect in any society’s democratic evolution. It is a basic requirement for democratic quality. In its ideal form, democracy seeks to safeguard and promote the dignity and fundamental rights of the individual,
to achieve social fairness, to support economic and social growth of the community, to strengthen social cohesion, and to enhance national tranquillity (Inter-Parliamentary Union, 1997).
As a result, when citizens participate in decision-making within a political body, governments are held more effectively accountable, constitutionally protected rights are implemented, and individual and community demands are better represented in the policy process.
Thus, political participation ensures the realisation of democratic goals inside a political unit. One of the most detrimental components for maintaining quality good governance and building local government entities is a strong and effective local government.
Local representatives of democratically formed local authorities can encourage greater socioeconomic emancipation of the country’s people, and this is largely dependent on the maximum utilisation of citizens, both men and women, for the country’s overall growth.
Despite the fact that women make up more than half of the total population of Ghana, women have poorer economic standing than men in every sector. Democracies all throughout the world make particular arrangements to encourage and minimise barriers to women’s meaningful involvement.
With the resurgence of conservative attitudes, obligatory female involvement in local governments could be an important tool for effecting change in the country’s political environment. Women’s participation in local government is crucial to the legitimacy of decision-making processes.
When women participate in local government, it strengthens the government’s legitimacy, assures fair representation of society in elected offices, and influences policy agenda by enhancing women’s abilities to deal with connected issues in society (Markham, 2013).
Women’s participation in municipal administration is a human rights issue as much as it is a political one. Every person has the right to participate in the processes that shape his or her life. When women engage in local government on an equal footing with men, the female perspective is effectively incorporated into policy decisions.
Women have historically been excluded from politics around the world. This is due to “multiple structural, functional, and personal factors that vary across countries and social contexts.” Women encounter a number of barriers to engaging in political processes, from the local to the global level.
Women are underrepresented as voters and in leadership positions due to structural impediments such as discriminatory laws and institutions, as well as capability gaps such as a lack of education, contacts, and resources (UN-Women, n.d.).
In Ghana, the lack of gender analysis in the Ghanaian economy, as well as the invisible role of women in Ghana, have a historical link to the gender gap in local governance. As a result, the study is based on a hypothesis.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
There have been a variety of efforts and programmes throughout the years to increase women’s engagement in municipal politics, particularly in the developing countries. Ghana has not been an exception, owing to the numerous advocacy and capacity-building programmes aimed at increasing female participation.
However, before any effective interventions can be done, we must first understand the genuine conditions of women in local communities or at the sub-national level. Most African women continue to live and work in settings in which they are regarded as mere tools of production and social reproduction.
Their status and rights are, in many ways, even more marginalised than those of women elsewhere in the globe, who, while subject to patriarchy, do so mostly inside the boundaries of the household. This may not be the only problem that women face.
Because we can’t know unless we investigate, I believe a study of this sort may look into other issues with women’s representation, provide some insights, and shed more light on the subject.
Furthermore, there has been an overemphasis on women as a whole, with little attention for the unique challenges that women from different sections of the country face.
We may not gain a more accurate view of the issue of women’s participation if we lump them all together in one ‘large pot’ and treat them as if their situations were identical. Perhaps we might grasp the various situations of women in Ghana by evaluating George Orwell’s popular assertion that all animals are equal, even if some are more equal than others.
As a result, this study will look into the topic of women’s involvement in both the Northern and Southern portions of Ghana, with the goal of identifying discrepancies through comparisons and the reasons driving the differences in the number of women in the assembly.
1.3 AIM OF THE STUDY
The primary goal of this research is to look at Women’s Participation in Local Governance (A Case Study of Ashanti Mampong Municipality in Ghana). The study specifically intends to:
To determine the extent to which women are successful in Ghanaian local government elections.
To investigate the rate at which females are appointed to certain assemblies.
To investigate the reasons that limit women’s participation in local government.
1.4 RESEARCH HYPOTHESES
HO1: Women have a low rate of success in local government elections in Ghana.
H11: Women have a high rate of success in local government elections in Ghana.
HO2: Women’s limited participation in Ghana is not influenced by socioeconomic position or cultural practises.
Hi2: Women’s limited participation in Ghana is not influenced by socioeconomic position or cultural practises.
1.5 Significance of the research
The conclusions of this study will be important to all branches of government as well as Ghanaians. The research will educate women on the importance of engaging in politics and running for jobs in the legislatures.
The study’s findings will raise public awareness of the need to reduce or eliminate cultural practises and ideas that limit women’s participation in local government.
Furthermore, the study will empirically contribute to the body of knowledge, act as a reference material, and be immensely valuable to students and academics interested in doing additional studies on the topic.
1.6 The scope of the research
This study’s scope includes an investigation of Women’s Participation in Local Governance. The study, however, is restricted to the Ashanti Mampong Municipality in Ghana.
1.7 Limitations of the Study
During the course of this investigation, the following elements may represent a hindrance.
Financial constraint– A lack of funds tends to restrict the researcher’s efficiency in locating relevant materials, literature, or information, as well as in the data collection procedure (internet, questionnaire, and interview).
Time constraint- The researcher will conduct this investigation alongside other academic activities. As a result, the amount of time spent on research will be reduced.
1.8 Definition of Terms
Local Government: The phrase “local government” refers to the lowest levels of government within a sovereign state.Local governments often act only within the authority granted to them by law and/or directions from a higher level of government.
Participation is the process by which stakeholders influence and share power over development initiatives, as well as the decisions and resources that affect them.
Governance is defined as “the process of making decisions and putting those decisions into action.”
REFERENCE
F. Bari (November 2005). Issues and challenges in women’s political engagement. Expert Group Meeting of the United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women: Enhancing Women’s Participation in Development Through an Enabling Environment for Achieving Gender Equality and Women’s Advancement. Bangkok.
Women in Local Government in Ghana-A Case Study of the Central Region, by C. K. Brown, N. K. T. Ghartey, and E. K. Ekuma (Friedrich Ebert Foundation: Accra, 1996).
Improving Women’s Participation in Local Government in Ghana: An Empirical Study, Owusu A., Opoku P., Amankwa M., and Dagba G. https://ssrn.com/abstract=3529064 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3529064.
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