The DLEs, which were held on December 19, last year, indicated that males made up 95.9 percent of the 6,243 assembly members elected, while females made up 4.1 percent.
The percentage of elected women assembly members has increased by 0.3 percent from the last election (2019).
However, statistics revealed that female voters lacked trust in female candidates, despite the fact that the approximately 6.2 million voters who went to the polls were virtually equally divided between males and females, at 50.5 percent and 49.5 percent, respectively.
A further look into the Electoral Commission (EC) figures provided to the Daily Graphic revealed that the 5,984 males who won assembly member elections represented 35.4 percent of the male candidates, despite the fact that 16,925 of them ran.
In comparison, the 259 women who won the elections represented 25% of the total female applicants, who totalled 1,049.
The data also revealed that 73 people with disabilities (PWDs), including 55 men and 18 women, won the polls.
In the unit committee elections, 22,646 of the 42,094 male applicants were elected, accounting for 87.2 percent of the total number of people chosen.
In addition, 3,335 of the 5,666 female applicants for unit committee elections were chosen, accounting for 12.8 percent of the total elected members.
As unit committee members for PWDs, 67 candidates were chosen, 38 men and 29 females.
Predictably, the 2023 DLEs saw again another low turnout of 35%, two percentage points lower than the previous election (2019).
According to EC figures, numerous peri-urban districts had voter turnout rates exceeding 50%, whereas metropolitan areas had low voter participation.
The North East Region had the greatest voter turnout with 55.2 percent, followed by the Northern, Oti, Upper East, and Upper West areas with 52.1 percent, 51.1 percent (Oti and Upper East), and 50.8 percent, respectively.
The Savannah, Ahafo, and Western North areas each had 48.2 percent, 45 percent, and 44.6 percent, while the Bono and Eastern regions had 40.1 percent and 38.6 percent, respectively.
In addition, the Volta, Central, and Bono regions got 37.2 percent, 36.7 percent, and 36.1 percent turnouts, respectively, while the Western Region had 33.7 percent.
The Greater Accra and Ashanti areas had the lowest turnout rates, with 18% and 33.4 percent, respectively.
Meanwhile, some analysts have labelled women’s poor political engagement, particularly at the municipal level, as concerning and anti-developmental.
Professor Nicholas Awortwi, Director of the Institute of Local Government Studies, recent said that despite accounting for more than half of the country’s population, women were underrepresented in leadership at all levels.
Prof. Awortwi went on to say that the lack of incentives for assembly members was a major reason for the DLEs’ poor patronage.
He remarked that until the country established incentives for assembly members, local government elections would fail to get the necessary attention and involvement from the general public, particularly women.
For example, he stated that, in comparison to the national level, Members of Parliament received incentives like as vehicle loans and salary, as well as development money known as the Common Fund to carry out initiatives at the local level, whereas Assembly members received no assistance.
Dr Miriam Rahinatu Iddrisu, a Social Development and Gender Specialist/Consultant, also cited alarming figures suggesting a drop in women’s political engagement in the country.
According to Dr. Iddrisu, the low participation of women in DLEs is mostly due to financial hurdles, antiquated conventional and religious definitions of a leader being a man, and the country’s chaotic politics.
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