GENDER MAINSTREAMING ACCOUNTABILITY IN LOCAL GOVERNANCE: AN INSTITUTIONAL ASSESSMENT OF GENDER INTEGRATION IN THE TAMALE METROPOLITAN ASSEMBLY, GHANA

Abstract

Gender mainstreaming has considerably been embraced in Ghana as the appropriate strategy to empower women and achieve gender equality through the establishment of the national gender machinery and the adoption of a national gender policy. However, the impact of gender mainstreaming at the local governance level is yet to be realized. This research was premised on the problem that the Tamale Metropolitan Assembly (TaMA) is a mandated institution to mainstream gender in its work and governance in light of a national gender policy to make local governance inclusive and accountable. The aim was to investigate gender mainstreaming accountability in local governance specifically in the TaMA. The main objective of the study was to assess the mechanisms the TaMA has put in place to account for gender mainstreaming commitments in its governance systems and work. Data were gathered using structured interviews and key informant interviews. Data collected from the structured interviews was edited, coded and analyzed with the aid of the IBM Statistical Package for Social Scientists (IBM SPSS) software and the key informant interviews were analyzed manually. The sample size was 40 comprising 13 female and 27 male respondents. The study found that, there was no systematic approach to effectively mainstream gender leading to structural changes being unresponsive to women’s leadership in governance. It also found that little effort was made in localizing the national policy direction as the Assembly relies only on an action plan prepared by the Gender Desk Officer without an internal policy. Resource allocation was found to be the major factor hindering effective gender mainstreaming in the Assembly and its sub structures. The researcher concluded that, the TaMA requires significant changes in its structures, systems and processes in order to break down gender barriers and reduce institutional inequalities with greater commitment and transformative actions to ensure accountability. The study recommended that, there is an urgent need to close the gap between policy acceptance to policy implementation through the use of a comprehensive gender strategy; the need to engender local government for inclusiveness and accountability; representation of women through the women’s ballot and the passing of the affirmative action bill; and political will should reflect in the financial resource distribution for gender mainstreaming.