The People’s National Convention (PNC) has congratulated the New Patriotic Party (NPP) over the primaries it conducted over the weekend but has raised concerns over the number of female incumbents who have been rejected.
Among the female Members of Parliament (MPs) who lost their seats were Sarah Adwoa Safo, Tina Mensah and Freda Prempeh.
In a statement to congratulate the ruling party, the PNC said the defeats to the female MPs in relatively safer constituencies could potentially lead to decreased representation of women in governance.
“It is disappointing that the NPP did not implement measures to protect female parliamentarians in this election,” the statement signed by General Secretary Janet Asana Nabla said.
“The creation of both Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden shows that God intended for both
men and women to contribute to progress and protect His creation. Therefore, it is disheartening to see women being marginalized in politics,” the statement added.
The party rallied women in Ghana to boycott the 2024 elections if the Affirmative Action Bill is not passed into law before December 2024.
“Both the NPP and the NDC, as political parties represented in Parliament, have taken the women of Ghana for granted. We appeal to all women in Ghana, including female politicians, food sellers, market women, women in farming, and those in the private and public sectors, to stand up and demonstrate for their rights,” portions of the statement contained.
The PNC cited African countries like South Africa, Tanzania and Rwanda as having passed affirmative action laws, “so it is puzzling why Ghana has not yet done so.”
“We call on Civil Society Organizations, the Media, Academia, Religious leaders and Experts to shift their focus from NPP and NDC politics and instead exert pressure on these two political parties to pass the Affirmative Action Bill into law, in order to ensure female participation in Ghana’s politics.”
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