University of Education, Winneba http://ir.uew.edu.gh UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION, WINNEBA WOMEN’S PARTICIPATION IN LOCAL LEVEL GOVERNANCE IN SELECTED DISTRICTS IN THE CENTRAL REGION OF GHANA AUGUSTA KYEREWAAH ASANTE MASTER OF PHILOSOPHY 2020 University of Education, Winneba http://ir.uew.edu.gh UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION, WINNEBA WOMEN’S PARTICIPATION IN LOCAL LEVEL GOVERNANCE IN SELECTED DISTRICTS IN THE CENTRAL REGION OF GHANA AUGUSTA KYEREWAAH ASANTE (8180140022) A Dissertation in the Department of Social Studies Education, Faculty of Social Science Education, Submitted to the School of Graduate Studies, In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement for the Award of the Degree of Master of Philosophy (Social Studies Education) in the University of Education, Winneba AUGUST, 2020 University of Education, Winneba http://ir.uew.edu.gh DECLARATION Student’s Declaration I, Augusta Kyerewaah Asante, declare that this thesis, with the exception of quotations and references contained in published works which have all been identified and acknowledged, is entirely my own original work, and it has not been submitted, either in part or whole for another degree elsewhere. Signature:………………………………… Date………………………….………… Supervisor’s Declaration I hereby declare that the preparation and presentation of this work was supervised in accordance with guidance for supervision of thesis as laid down by School of Research and Graduate Studies, University of Education, Winneba. Dr. Lucy Effeh Attom (Supervisor) Signature:………………………………… Date………………………….………… iii University of Education, Winneba http://ir.uew.edu.gh ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The content of this work has been made possible through the effort, time, support and expertise of a number of people. First of all, I am highly indebted to all the authors whose works I quoted either directly or indirectly. I also wish to express my profound gratitude to my supervisor, Dr. Lucy Effeh Attom, for her painstaking efforts, insight, guidance and professional expertise, and to my internal assessor, Dr. Joseph Ignatius Obeng for his critical proof reading. I owe a great debt of gratitude to Professor Yaw Ofosu-Kusi, Dean, School of Management Science, University of Energy and Natural Resources, Sunyani, for his guidance, constructive criticisms and invaluable suggestions. I am very grateful to Mr. Samuel Poatob, a lecturer in the Department of Social Studies Education, for his time, encouragement and guidance. I thank all these people for their immense contributions which have culminated in no small way to the completion of this thesis. Special thanks also go to Nkansah Isaac, for propping me on anytime despair crept in. I am grateful to David for leading me to all the women Assembly members in the various districts. I also wish to thank all the women Assembly members and their husbands, for availing themselves for the study. Finally, I wish to acknowledge the encouragements of my mother, Lucy Boateng, my father, Henry Owusu Asante, my siblings and all my friends that enabled me to complete this study. iv University of Education, Winneba http://ir.uew.edu.gh DEDICATION I dedicate this work to my parents, Henry Owusu Asante and Lucy Boateng for their support. v University of Education, Winneba http://ir.uew.edu.gh TABLE OF CONTENTS Content Page DECLARATION iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS iv DEDICATION v TABLE OF CONTENTS vi LIST OF TABLES ix LIST OF FIGURES x ABSTRACT xi CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION 1 1.1 Background to the study 1 1.2 Statement of the problem 7 1.3 The Purpose of the Study 8 1.4 The Objectives of the Study 9 1.5 Research Questions 9 1.6 Significance of the Study 9 1.7 Organization of the Study 10 CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW 12 2.0 Introduction 12 2.1 The Meaning of Decentralization 12 2.2 Dimensions of Decentralization 13 2.3 Decentralization in Ghana 20 2.4 Local Government System in Ghana 24 2.5 Theories of Gender 27 2.6 Socio-Economic Factors that affects Women’s Participation in Local Level Governance 54 2.7 Cultural Barriers that affect Women’s Participation in Local Level Governance 57 vi University of Education, Winneba http://ir.uew.edu.gh 2.8 Religious Barriers that affect Women’s Participation in Local Level Governance 65 2.9 Avenues that Support Women’s Participation in Local Level Governance 66 2.9 Conceptual Framework 71 2.10 Summary 72 CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY 75 3.0 Introduction 75 3.1 Research Design 75 3.2 Method of Data Analysis 79 3.3 Trustworthiness of the Study 80 3.4 Ethical Consideration 82 3.5 Chapter Summary 83 CHAPTER FOUR: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION 84 4.0 Introduction 84 4.1 Background Information of Respondents 84 4.2. Socio-Economic Factors 90 4.3. Cultural Barriers 97 4.4 Religious Barriers 102 4.5 Existing Avenues that Support Women in Local Level Politics 105 4.5 Enabling Factors 108 4.6 Challenging Factors 115 4.7 Chapter Summary 120 CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 122 5.0 Introduction 122 5.1 Summary 122 5.2 Major Findings 123 vii University of Education, Winneba http://ir.uew.edu.gh 5.3 Conclusions 124 5.4 Recommendations 125 5.5 Suggestions for further studies 126 REFERENCES 127 APPENDICES 144 viii University of Education, Winneba http://ir.uew.edu.gh LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1: Demographic Data of Participants 85 2 : District of Participants 89 ix University of Education, Winneba http://ir.uew.edu.gh LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page Figure 1: The Local Government Structure 26 Figure 2: Conceptual Framework 71 x University of Education, Winneba http://ir.uew.edu.gh ABSTRACT Calls for more female participation in politics have been featured strongly in developed and developing countries since 1975, when the United Nations made women’s issues a priority. However, women still face challenges in their quest to participate in local level politics. The objectives of the study were to examine the socio-economic factors that affect women’s participation in local level governance; identify the cultural barriers that affect women’s participation in local level governance; determine the religious barriers that affect women’s participation in local level govenance; and to explore the avenues that exist to support women in local level governance in the Central Region of Ghana. The qualitative approach was employed for this study, and an interview guide was used to gather data from 11 women assembly members and two husbands of two women assembly members, making a total of 13 participants. The participants were sampled using purposive, snowball and convenient sampling techniques. The data was analysed thematically. The study identified lack of self-confidence, limited funds, unsupportive family, abuse and harassment, political affiliations in the Assembly and unsupportive religious organizations as the socio-economic, cultural and religious barriers to women participation in local level governance in Agona West, Gomoa West and Gomoa Central districts in the Central Region of Ghana. The findings from the study also showed that though there are some avenues such as NGOs, NCCE and Abantu for development that support women in local level politics, such avenues are not enough and, therefore, more of such avenues should be created in every electoral area. While patriarchal beliefs still abound in society, some women have been empowered through education and have been able to build strong social capital to resist patriarchy and overcome barriers to involve themselves in local politics. The study recommend that special development fund should be set up by the government to support Assembly women to perform their roles and responsibilities within their communities. Such funds may help them fulfil their promises, which may encourage them to seek re-election that may maintain the few elected Assembly women in the District Assemblies. In addition, Civil society and Non-governmental organizations should support women to participate in local level governance in the Gomoa West, Agona West and the Gomoa Central Districts in the Central Region of Ghana. xi University of Education, Winneba http://ir.uew.edu.gh CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background to the study Women’s position in the political sphere was invoked by women activists in the United States as early as 1848, when they convened the first women’s rights Convention in Seneca Falls, New York (Ballington, Davies, Reith, Mitchell, Njoki, Kozma & Powley 2012). The Activists created a Declaration of Sentiments, demanding equality and called for women’s suffrage because women contribute to the development of society (Ballington et al., 2012). Since then, political participation of women in governance systems have been one of the major issues in the international community. International advocacy for gender equality increased to reduce gender differences, particularly when the United Nations organized Conferences on women. In the early days of the activism, the International Conferences were held every 5 years and then every 10 years in selected countries, including Mexico in Mexico City, in 1975; Denmark, Copenhagen, in 1980; Kenya, Nairobi in 1985; and China, Beijing in 1995 (Hobbs, 2011; Horn, 2013; UNWOMEN, 2016). Since the 1980s, there have been constant calls to address gender inequality and the need to achieve equal status between women and men in political representation in local and national governments (Boex & Simatupang, 2015; Kaliniuk & Schozodaeva, 2012; Urbinati, 2006). Each international conference has been larger and more significant. For instance, the first World Conference on Women (WCW) that took place in Mexico in 1975 occurred at the same time with the International Women’s Year celebrations, and the United Nations Celebration of the Decade for Women (Moghadam, 2003). It was during the first of such conference in 1975 that the organizers opened a global 1 University of Education, Winneba http://ir.uew.edu.gh dialogue on gender equality, and thereby launched a new era in global efforts to promote the advancement of women (Ballington et al., 2012).