Party Primaries and Women’s Representation in Ghana: How Can More Women Aspirants Win?

Chapter 3 asks how women fare during candidate selection within institutionalized parties. The chapter provides a unique analysis of the persistent barriers women are likely to face as aspirants in countries that lack legislative gender-based quotas. Focusing on Ghana’s two national parties, the National Democratic Congress and the New Patriotic Party, Bauer and Darkwah examine how the adoption of seemingly more inclusive and transparent primary processes affects women’s likelihood of being selected as party candidates. Drawing on qualitative interviews with party elites, women aspirants, and candidates, they find that women in Ghana report serious concerns with potential violence and harassment. In addition, they show that financial constraints pose a barrier for women aspirants and that party efforts to overcome these constraints through fee reductions and subsidies are largely insufficient.