The Aya Institute for Research and Training for Gender Equality has announced that it will hold its quadrennial flagship research and advocacy programme, Ghana Decides Gender Watch (GDGW ‘24) on October 5 this year.

It also announced that it will host a post-election analysis event on December 14, a week after the 2024 elections.

In a statement, the Institute noted that this GDGW’24 is aimed at tracking and highlighting gender dynamics in the 2024 elections while throwing a spotlight on women in politics.

Citing a report by the 2024 World Economic Forum statistics which says that it would take close to a century to be able to bridge the political gender gap, the statement said that this GDGW’24 is necessary as it seeks to bridge the political gender gap within the country by promoting gender-sensitive topics.

“2024 World Economic Forum statistics state that it would take an average of 95 years to attempt to close the political gender gap. The Institute asserts that the low levels of gender consciousness prevailing in both the private and public spheres contribute to the global low political participation of women including in Ghana. ‘GDGW’ 2024, seeks to bridge the gap, as the country enters the season of rigorous election campaigns by promoting gender-sensitive content.”

The Institute noted that although Ghana’s voter population is largely made up of women, women’s representation is low in national politics.

This, according to them does not reflect democratic inclusivity.

“Ghana, with its population and voter register as a female majority, is yet to see any significant representation after three decades of democracy. We are yet to consider that, a functioning democracy is inclusive, and that it makes economic and business sense,” portions of the statement read.

The GDGW’24 will be marked by a series of programmes, prominent among them is the Gender Watch Podcast which will be comprised of twelve episodes of discussion by seasoned gender activists. These podcasts will be aired on YouTube and Spotify.

“The main highlight of GDGW 2024, is the ‘Gender Watch Podcast’, hosting twelve episodes with gender scholars and activists engaging in conversations on inclusion and democracy, media representation…‘GDGW’24 would be hosted on Spotify and YouTube with the following handles. Spotify-Gender Watch by Aya Institute YouTube-Aya Institute for Women”.