Civil society advocates and youth leaders in the Upper East Region have expressed concern over the low representation of women and young people in local governance structures despite the passage of Ghana’s Affirmative Action Act.
Speaking during a radio discussion organized by RISE-Ghana under its HEARD II Project, stakeholders noted that women remain significantly underrepresented in district assemblies across the region.
Upper East Regional Coordinator of Activista Ghana, Nicholas Azebire, said the number of elected female assembly members in the region remains below five, far short of the targets outlined in the Affirmative Action Act, which seeks to achieve at least 30 percent representation for women by 2026 and 50 percent by 2035.
He said women and young people continue to face barriers including financial constraints, cultural expectations and limited political support, making it difficult for them to compete for leadership positions.
John Kaguna, Monitoring and Evaluation Officer for the HEARD Project, said the Constitutional Review Committee’s recommendations on local governance reforms failed to make specific provisions for women, youth and persons with disabilities.
According to him, the omission could undermine efforts to increase participation of marginalized groups if direct elections for Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) are introduced without safeguards.
“The fear is that those with financial power will dominate the process if clear quotas or protections are not included,” Mr Kaguna said.
The speakers called on Parliament to align any local governance reforms with the Affirmative Action Act to ensure gains made toward gender inclusion are not reversed.
They also urged political parties to incorporate affirmative action principles into their internal structures and candidate selection processes.
Participants agreed that greater inclusion of women and young people in governance would contribute to what they described as “developmental democracy,” where leadership reflects the needs and aspirations of all segments of society.
