Bloody widows? Discourses of tradition and gender in Ghanaian politics
Date
2022
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Discourse & Society
Abstract
According to the Inter-Parliamentary Union, although there have been steady increases in the
number of women in politics, widespread gender inequalities persist. This is particularly pervasive
in patriarchal societies where gender norms and practices are deeply entrenched, with socio-cultural barriers often cited as some of the key impediments to women’s search for political
power. There have, therefore, been calls to remove such barriers for effective participation.
Unfortunately, some events that occurred before Ghana’s 2020 election discouraged, rather than
encourage women’s participation in governance. With data from articles, headlines and comments
from various online media outlets, this paper examines three events that reinforce what may be
called ‘a bloody widow discourse’ in Ghana’s politics. Using Feminist Critical Discourse Analysis,
the paper shows how traditional norms and expectations associated with widowhood can be
perceived as barriers to women’s (and not men’s) quest for political power, thereby sustaining
the unequal gender and power relations in politics. The use of allusions and rhetorical questions
and presuppositions further perpetuate a ‘blame-the-widow’ discourse which makes the women
appear unworthy of the power they seek.
Description
Research Article
Keywords
Feminist critical discourse analysis, gender bias, women and politics