The research topic Hegemony, Patriarchy and Human Rights: The Representation of Women in Ghanaian Politics, evolved as a result of years of examining the Ghanaian political spectrum, especially the dynamics of political representation and participation which seemed to be skewed towards one particular gender the male. Ghana operates a Parliamentary democracy which calls for fair and equal representation. The research examines the relationship between males and females in Ghana's political sphere, and how that could undermine equal democratic representation. The objective of the research was threefold, 1) researching into how women desiring to enter politics navigate their way into it, 2) how women already in politics navigate the environment and 3) how our Ghanaian socio-cultural context impacts these women. The research was conducted based on five research questions namely: 1) What socio-cultural factors impact women's participation in political positions in Ghana? 2) What are the experiences of women in local and national politics? 3) What radical changes in policies have opened the way for women participation in politics? 4) What are the impediments, challenges, and successes that women in political leadership and non political leadership experience as a result of their gender? 5) What are the contributions of women in leadership to the politics of Ghana?
Gramsci's theoretical concept of hegemony and the postmodernist Postcolonial Feminist theory from the perspectives of McClintock and Mohanty, combined with relevant literature on women in politics informed the study. Literature reviewed among others covered areas such as patriarchy, hegemony, global women, women in Ghana, and human rights.
The study adopted a phenomenological case study approach. Using this qualitative methodology, this study fills a gap in the literature on women and politics in Ghana in that it uniquely uses the voices of female politicians in Ghana to name their experiences in the political sphere. The experiences of these women, navigating politics within the seemingly entrenched socio-cultural framework forms the basis of this study. Twenty participants were purposively sampled for the study, aged between 28 and 68. The study was conducted through one-on-one interviews using semi-structured interviews with 15 former and current members of Parliament in Ghana as well as some significant others, a focus group interview with 5 participants, observation of parliamentary proceedings, and document analysis of Parliamentary Hansards. The analyses were based on data gathered between November 2009 - January 2010.
The research findings reveal a complex socio-cultural matrix in which Ghanaian women find themselves namely; the unequal representation, the reality of not being treated as partners, and the price women pay when they braze the odds to venture into politics. Further, it was shown that Ghanaian socialization processes place women in subordinate positions, and this mentality is carried into public sphere. This particularly compromises the position of women operating in the Ghana's political context. Other findings were the dysfunctional policies of government and political parties.
Conclusions drawn were indicative of phenomenal disadvantages society consciously and unconsciously places in the path of women in their quest for political self-actualization. As a way forward, suggestions such as a conscious effort by society in these contemporary times to affect and interrupt entrenched structures to suit the dictates of the times, enforcing and deepening equality among men and women, opening wider the doors to political power for females, and creating a political culture that is both male and female friendly were suggested. Implications for theory, policy, women organizations and other civil society structures as well as contributions to the literature have been discussed. Suggestions for future research have also been given.