As Ghana prepares for its 2027 local elections, new research presented in Accra highlights that violence against women in politics remains a significant barrier to democratic participation at the local level. A roundtable jointly hosted by UNDP Ghana and the Nordic Africa Institute brought together researchers, policymakers, development partners, and diplomats to examine structural obstacles to women’s political involvement and discuss strategies for safer, more inclusive local governance.
Senior Researcher Diana Højlund Madsen presented findings from NAI’s newly published book Making Politics Safer – Mitigating violence against women in politics in Africa: insights from Ghana, Kenya and Zimbabwe, which draws on 134 interviews with politically active women. The research demonstrates that women in local politics face systematic physical, sexual, psychological, economic, and semiotic violence designed to deter participation and preserve male-dominated political systems. In Ghana, women make up only 4.1 per cent of district assembly members, underscoring the importance of addressing the conditions under which women engage politically, not just increasing their numerical representation.
The study shows that gendered electoral violence takes many forms, including sexualized harassment, threats to family members, moral accusations, and online abuse. While gender quotas and policy reforms have helped improve women’s representation in some contexts, the research argues that safety and political inclusion remain critical, as representation alone is insufficient in unsafe political environments. Complementary UNDP Ghana research on Women in Local Governance and Peacebuilding documents structural barriers and resilience strategies among women in northern Ghana, revealing that despite strong democratic credentials and international commitments such as CEDAW and UNSC Resolutions 1325 and 2250, effective participation of women and youth in local governance remains low.
Addressing participants, H.E. Jakob Linulf, Ambassador of Denmark to Ghana, emphasized the importance of evidence-based policy and international partnerships in advancing gender equality and democratic resilience. He noted that gender inequality is a global challenge and that women’s full participation is essential for sustainable development, economic progress, and inclusive governance. UNDP Ghana’s Resident Representative, Niloy Banerjee, highlighted that violence against women in politics undermines democratic governance, weakening the legitimacy, responsiveness, and effectiveness of institutions, and reaffirmed UNDP’s commitment to creating safer spaces for women and youth in politics and peacebuilding.
Højlund Madsen concluded that meaningful progress requires coordinated action across institutions, stressing that legal reforms alone are insufficient. Political parties, local authorities, election bodies, and civil society must collaborate to ensure women can participate without fear. The research initiative Making Politics Safer – Gendered Violence and Electoral Temporalities in Africa, funded by the Swedish National Research Council, offers evidence-based recommendations for governments, political parties, election management bodies, and development partners. Combined with UNDP’s ongoing programming in Ghana, these findings provide actionable insights for policymakers to strengthen inclusive democracy and safeguard women’s political participation ahead of the 2027 elections.
