There will be a total of 35 female Members of Parliament (MPs) in the next parliament which commences on January 7, 2017.

The New Patriotic Party (NPP), which is set to form the next government with Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as president – with a 171 parliamentary majority – will lead the house with 24 women representatives and the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) – which will be minority in the house – coming in with 11 women.

Although some gender activists have complained that women representation in the legislature is still low, there was a slight improvement from 29 in the current parliament to 35 in the next one.

In the case of the NPP, 12 female MPs are entering parliament for the first time, with two making a comeback, while nine retained their seats; but the NDC has seven new entrants and five re-elected.

Comeback Queens

The two who are making a comeback are Hajia Alima Mahama from Nalerigu, who is the only female MP from the Northern Region and Catherine Abelema Afeku from Evalue Ajomoro Gwira.

The NDC has no female MP making a comeback.

New Entrants

The new entrants from the NPP’s camp include Nana Dokua Asiamah Adjei (Akropong), Mercy Adu-Gyamfi aka Ama Sey (Akwatia), Barbara Asher Ayisi (Cape Coast North), Naana Eyiah (Gomoa Central), Cynthia Mamle Morrison (Agona West), Abena Durowaa Mensah (Assin North) and Barbara Oteng-Gyasi (Prestea Huni Valley).

The rest are Joyce Adwoa Akoh (Bosome Freho), Francisca Oteng Mensah (Kwabre East), who is the youngest MP to enter parliament, Ama Pomaa Boateng Andoh (Juaben), Tina Gifty Naa Ayeley Mensah (Weija Gbawe), Nana Akua Owusu Afriyieh (Ablekuma North) and Elizabeth Afoley Quaye (Krowor).

Re-Elected MPs

The re-elected female NPP MPs include Gifty Twum-Ampofo (Abuakwa North), Abena Osei-Asare (Atiwa East), Mavis Hawa Koomson (Awutu Senya East), Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey (Anyaa Sowutuom), Ursula Owusu-Ekuful (Ablekuma West), Sarah Adwoa Sarfo (Dome Kwabenya), Patricia Appiagyei (Asokwa), as well as Freda Prempeh (Tano North), who is the only female NPP MP in the Brong-Ahafo Region.

In the NDC, the new entrants include Mensah Betty Nana Efua Krosby (Afram Plains North), Angela Oforiwa Alorwu-Tay (Afadzato South), Ayamba Laadi Ayii (Pusiga), Sophia Karen Ackuaku (Domeabra/Obom), Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings (Klottey Korle) and Linda Obenewaa Akweley Ocloo (Shai Osudoku).

Those who were re-elected include Cudjoe Comfort Doyoe (Ada), Queenstar Pokuah Sawyerr (Agona East), Joycelyn Tetteh (North Dayi), Della Sowah (Kpando), Bernice Adiku Heloo (Hohoe) and Helen Adjoa Ntoso (Krachi West).

EC Data

According to records from the Electoral Commission (EC), a total of 137 women contested the election in 275 constituencies on December 7.

The NDC presented 40 women candidates and got 12 seats while the NPP put in 29 and had 23.

On regional analysis, the Greater Accra Region elected 10 women as parliamentarians while both Eastern Volta Regions had five each.

The Central Region elected six female MPs while Northern, Brong-Ahafo and Upper West Regions recorded one each.

Western Region brought two while Ashanti had four, but there was no female elected MP from the Upper West Region.

Volta Region

The Volta Region elected five women out of the nine who contested for the 2016 parliamentary seats.

The figure is an improvement on the 2012 election which saw four entering parliament.

All the five women – two of whom are new entrants – were elected on the ticket of the NDC.

Central Region

Six of the 16 women who contested for the 23 parliamentary seats in the Central Region were given the nod.

The New Patriotic Party and the National Democratic Congress presented five female candidates each; the Progressive People’s Party (PPP), three; the Convention People’s Party (CPP), two; with the National Democratic Party (NDP) presenting one.

Two incumbent women MPs – Hawa Koomson (Awutu Senya East) and Pokua Sawyerr (Agona East) – retained their seats.

The four new entrants include Barbara Asher Ayisi of the NPP (Cape Coast North) who beat her main contender, Kobby Akyeampong of the NDC.

Madam Abena Duruwaa Mensah, NPP wrestled the seat from the incumbent MP, Samuel Ambre of the NDC in Assin North.

Naana Eyiah, NPP, beat the incumbent NDC MP for Gomoa Central, Rachel Appoh; whilst Cynthia Mamle Morrison beat Charles Obeng Inkoom – the incumbent MP – to win the Agona West seat.
Hanna Tetteh, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Intergration, who was the incumbent MP for Awutu Senya, lost the seat to NPP’s George Andah.