Article: Rebecca Quaicoe-Duho
The anxiety and uncertain clouds that surrounded the gains of female aspirants in the polls can now be assuaged as 30 women from all the ten regions have so far successfully sailed through in the just ended keenly contested parliamentary election.
The regional breakdown is Eastern 3, Greater Accra 8, Central Region 4, Ashanti Region 4, Volta Region 4, Brong Ahafo Region 2, Western, Northern, Upper East and Upper West one each.
Subsequently Ghana’s next parliament is set to have more women since the beginning of the Fourth Republic which started in 1992.
Since independence, the 2012 parliament will go down in history as the one with the most women.
In the First Republic, which started from 1960 to February 14, 1966, Ghana’s first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, introduced an affirmative action which saw 10 women being elected into the 104 all-male parliament.
In 1965, a similar affirmative action by Dr Nkrumah sought to increase the number of women to 19 but his reign was truncated mid-way.
The Second Republic started from 1969 to 1972 and there was only one woman in the 140 seat parliament.
The Second Republic was overthrown by I.K. Acheampong who ruled from 1972 to 1979.
In the Third Republic, which was under Dr Hilla Limann from 1979 to December 31, 1981, there were five women in the 140 seat parliament.
The Fourth Republic started from 1992 and there were 16 women in its first Parliament of 200 members while the second parliament of the Fourth Republic with 200 members, started from 1996 with 18 women.
The third parliament of the Fourth Republic (2000-2004) had 19 women in the 200 seat parliament, and the Fourth Parliament of the Fourth Republic (2004-2008) with 230 members has had the highest number of women (25) in Parliament.
The 230 member House constituting the fifth parliament of the fourth republic in 2008 saw the number of women representative dropping to 20 and further dipping to 19 after one member, Mrs. Doris Asibi Seidu, former MP for the Chereponi Constituency died.
Female representative in the 275-member House which will be the sixth parliament will see a further increase to 29 representatives.
A total of 133 women who contested in this year’s parliamentary elections represent a 30 per cent increase in that of 2008 figure of 104 women contesting and it is the highest number of women who have contested parliamentary seats in Ghana’s political history.
Some MPs like NPP’s Catherine Afeku and Samia Yaaba Nkrumah of the CPP all from the Western Region were casualties while some veterans such as Mary Boforo and Gifty Klenam, managed to win their seats.
Out of the 133 women aspirants, Greater Accra region fielded the highest number of 34, followed by Ashanti 26, and Central 15. The rest are western and Eastern 12, Volta 10, Northern 7, Brong Ahafo 6, Upper East 6 and Upper West 5.
The Greater Accra produced the most female representatives of eight from the Ablekuma West Constituency, which was one of the 45 newly created constituencies and was won by Ms Ursula Owusu for the NPP, the Ledzokuku seat which is also new and was won by Mrs Benita Okity-Duah of the NDC, the newly created Weija constituency won by Ms Rosemund Comfort Abrah on the ticket of the NPP, the Dome/Kwabenya seat won by the NPP’s Ms Sarah Adwoa Safo, Ada was won by Ms Comfort Doyoe Cudjoe Ghansah of the NDC, Anyaa Sowutuom was won by Ms Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey who the NPP’s incumbent MP for the area and Ms Irene Naa Torshie Addo retained the Tema West seat for the NPP.
The reason for the Greater Accra’s high number can be attributed to it being the capital, cosmopolitan in nature and also having relatively more educated people.
The Central, Ashanti and Volta regions produced four MPs each. In the Central Region Ms Queenstar Pokua Sawyerr of the NDC won the Agona East seat, Ms Hanna Serwaa Tetteh of the NDC won the Awutu Senya West seat, Ms Racheal Florence Appoh won the Gomoa Central seat for the NDC and Ms Georgina Nkrumah Aboah of the NDC also won the Asikuma Odoben Brakwa seat.
The Ashanti Region had Ms Patricia Appiagyei of the NPP winning the Asokwa seat, Ama Pomaa Andoh won the Juaben seat for the NPP, Ms Elizabeth Agyeman retained the Oforikrom seat for the NPP and the Manso Nkwanta seat was won by Ms Grace Addo of the NPP.
Those who won in the Volta Region are; Mrs Juliana Azumah-Mensah of the NDC who was re-elected but to the newly created Agotime Ziope seat, Hohoe constituency was won by Dr Mrs Bernice Adiku Heloo of the NDC, Ms Helen Ajoa Ntoso won for the NDC to represent the people of Krachi West and the Kpando Constituency was won by the NDC’s Dellah Sowah.
The Brong Ahafo Region is represented by Ms Freda Prempeh, Tano North and Dr. Hanna Louisa Bisiw, Tano South.
Freda Prempeh, new MP
The Eastern Region had three women winning from Abirem represented by the NPPs Esther Obeng Dapaah an incumbent, Ms Abena Osei Asare representing the newly created Atiwa East seat for NPP and incumbent Ms Gifty Klenam of the NPP representing Lower West Akim.The Western, Northern, Upper East and Upper West had one female each who are incumbent MP for Tarkwa Nsuaem’s Gifty Eugenia Kusi of the NPP, Hajia Laadi Ayii Ayamba of the NDC won the Pusiga seat, Mary Salifu Boforo of the NDC won the Savelugu seat and Ms Sulamana Alijata won the Sisala East seat for the NDC by beaingt the PNC’s Moses Dani Baah who was the incumbent MP, and the NPP’s Sahaku Amidu Chinnia who was her closest contender.
It is expected that the new faces like former DCE of Sissala East, Ms Alijata Sulemana, Ms Hannah Bissiw, Works and Housing Deputy Minister, and Ms Ursula Owusu who have distinguished themselves in their respective careers together with the 'veterans’, would advance the cause of women in the House.
