Ahead of the 2024 elections, there was clamour for a higher female representation in the 9th Parliament albeit the current legislature recorded the highest number yet in the fourth republic.
With a 40 female membership split evenly by the two major political parties, the 8th Parliament passed as the Parliament with the highest number of females yet.
The 9th Parliament which would come into office at midnight on January 6th will see an improvement in that number though very minimal and statistically insignificant, but in no way an achievement to overlook.
Since the country returned to democratic rule in 1992, the country has seen a steady rise in female representation in the legislature only stalking in 2008 when the number of female legislators dropped from 25 to 20; the 1992 legislature had 16 females rising steadily to 18, then 19 then 25. But since 2012, when 31 females entered the Parliament there has been an upward trajectory.
The highest jump happened between 2012 and 2016 when the number moved from 31 female members to 38. Over the past eight years, the rise has been very small; and the 2025-2028 parliament would see an increase of one.
Forty-one female MPs would occupy the 9th Parliament with very varied dynamics. These 41 would be the very few of an already low numbers that contested the just-ended elections. 118 females were part of the 801 parliamentary candidates who contested to represent the 276 constituencies of the 67-year-old state.
Interestingly, only 20 female members of Parliament of the 40 that are in the 8th parliament would return. 17 of the retained 20 would come back from the National Democratic Congress side while the New Patriotic Party would have only 3 of their 20 returning to the refurbished chamber when Parliament is sworn in at midnight on January 6.
That means the 9th Parliament would see 21 new female legislators; 15 of these members would come from the National Democratic Congress side and 6 from the New Patriotic Party.
In all, the National Democratic Congress will have 32 female MPs and the remaining going to the New Patriotic Party. Though this distribution would mimic the general composition of the forthcoming Parliament that is lopsided in favour of the government, in principle, it would be the hope of many, that the clarion call over the past 10 years that has resulted in the passage of affirmative action bill and the belief that women would do better as leaders will be that which would hold this women group together in a Parliament that is likely to see little compromise from what many are describing as a super majority.
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By Cyril Dogbe
