Male Allyship within the Context of Local Governance: A Case of Wenchi Municipality in Ghana
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Date
2023
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
The International Journal of Community Diversity
Abstract
Despite significant efforts in promoting gender equality globally, gender disparities still exist in
the political, social, and economic realms of both developed and developing countries. Women are
still underrepresented in governance throughout the world. In the Ghanaian context, the beliefs
and behaviors of men could be instrumental in facilitating and/or impeding women’s active
participation in local governance. From a constructivist perspective, this study qualitatively
explored men’s perspectives on women’s involvement in local governance in the Wenchi
municipality of Ghana. The study interviewed respondents who are actively engaged in the local
governance process in the municipality. The respondents’ experiences and thoughts about women’s
involvement in local governance were analyzed. The study finds that there is a huge disparity in
women’s participation in local governance in the municipality. It also finds that these disparities
are fueled and institutionalized by the existing patriarchal system in Ghana. The study results imply
that involving men in the efforts geared toward breaking barriers to women’s involvement in local
governance and increasing the level of women’s participation requires the collective efforts of all
stakeholder groups, especially men. The study therefore recommends that conscious efforts be
made to integrate women in the local governance system because women have more to offer if
given the opportunity
Description
Research Article
Keywords
women, Local Government, Level of Participation, Gender Inequality
Citation
Citation: Gyan, Charles, Ata Senior Yeboah, Eunice Abbey, and Vyda Mamley Hervie. 2023. "Male Allyship within the Context of Local Governance: A Case of Wenchi Municipality in Ghana." The International Journal of Community Diversity 23 (1): 35-48. doi:10.18848/2327-0004/CGP/v23i01/35-48.