Towards Strengthening Democratic Governance: Interrogating the Gendered Pathways to the Presidency in Ghana

Abstract

This article examines the gendered nature of presidential power, and the barriers women face in attaining and exercising executive authority, with a specific focus on Ghana. Through an integrative literature review, The paper argues that the presidency is not a gender-neutral institution but a deeply masculinised space whose norms and expectations have been shaped by and for men. The article identifies five interconnected barrier domains: party gatekeeping and candidate selection; financial architecture of political competition; media framing and the "lead but not rule" paradox; cabinet appointment rules and the paradox of power; and conditional legitimacy and the glass cliff. Integrating feminist institutionalist and sustainable development paradigm, the article contends that women's exclusion from executive power constitutes not only a democratic deficit but a fundamental obstacle to inclusive and participatory development. Applying these findings to Ghana, the paper argues that despite the historic election of Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang as Vice President in 2024 and the passage of the Affirmative Action (Gender Equity) Act 2024 (Act 1121), the structural conditions for a woman presidency remain profoundly unfavourable. The paper concludes that legal reforms and symbolic breakthroughs are necessary but insufficient in transforming the gendered architecture of Ghana’s executive presidency. Ghana requires deliberate institutional redesign and structural alterations to improve women's participation in political leadership for democratic governance.