WOMEN'S PARTICIPATION IN NATIONAL POLITICS: POTENTIALS AND CHALLENGES IN LAWRA DISTRICT

Abstract

It is acknowledged that women constitute a greater proportion of the world's population . However, globally, women are recognized to be among the most vulnerable people in the society. They suffer many deprivations including marginalization , subjugation , powerlessness and voicelessness. The main problem of this study was to assess the low participation of women in national politics ,in Lawra District in the Upper West Region . The population of Lawra District is heterogeneous comprising Lobis, Dagaaba, and some few other groups that g ive a total population size of 101 ,434 with women constituting 54 ,1 38 as at the time of this study. In this study both qualita tive and quantitative research design were employed as well as appropria te sampling techniqu e s such as simp le random sampling and purposive sampling . The instrument s used were questionnaires . interviews and focus group discussion s. The study revealed that the low participation of women in natio nal politics in Lawra District was due to fear and the lack of politica l empowerment of wome n in the area as well as rigid socio - cultura l practices which tend to create cultura l gender perceptions in both men and women to weaken the interest of women to participate in politics . The traditional involvement of women in house hold manageme not coupled with the demonstration of inf eriority complex in women we re a lso obse rved as obstacles to the low political involvement of women , while the literacy level of women hampers women' s political careers, the same does not apply to men . In the light of these findings the researcher recommends that women confidence level should be improved through political empowerment, education and a quota should be compulsorily given to women at the party leve l s to enhance the participation of women in national politics. The advancement of women and the ach ievement of equality between women and men are matters of human r ights and conditions for social justice and should not be seen in isolation as women's issues