The Chairperson and Leader of the People’s National Party (PNP), Janet Asana Nabla, says navigating Ghana’s political space as a woman remains extremely challenging due to intimidation, stereotypes and systemic barriers within party structures.

Speaking on The Pulse on JoyNews on March 9 to mark International Women's Day, Ms Nabla said women who attempt to rise in politics often face resistance from men who dominate leadership spaces.

“Because this is a place where men are striving to climb, and you, a woman, are out there, they are ready to throw stones at you. They are ready to do anything to discourage you so that you go to the back,” she said.

According to her, although political parties often claim to promote women’s participation, the encouragement is frequently limited to positions such as women’s organiser rather than key leadership roles.

“You hear them say they are encouraging women to go into politics. Yes, they are encouraging you to contest as a women’s organiser, but they are not asking you to come and contest as a chairman or a general secretary,” she noted.

Ms Nabla explained that even when women hold positions within party leadership structures, they are sometimes expected to perform traditional roles instead of contributing meaningfully to decision-making.

“As a women’s organiser, you can be in a National Executive Committee meeting, the second-highest decision-making body after congress, and they will still call you to say, ‘How can a woman be here and be hungry? Go and organise something for us,” she stated.

She argued that such attitudes reinforce gender stereotypes that often relegate women to unpaid or supportive roles.

“Men don’t cook at home, but when you go to restaurants, they cook and collect money. They don’t sweep at home, but when you go out, they are cleaners. Anything that money is not attached to becomes a woman’s job,” she said.

Ms Nabla also recounted some of the personal attacks and insults she has faced since entering politics, including attempts to tarnish her reputation.

“They will insult you and say all sorts of things about you and your family. They put that weight on you whether it is true or not,” she said.

She further revealed that she had been arrested three times since joining politics, despite never having any prior encounters with the police or courts before entering the political arena.

“In my life, I had never been to court before. No one had ever sent me to a police station, but in politics, I have been arrested three times,” she stated.

In one instance, she said she was accused of threatening to kill someone and only became aware of the development after seeing reports of her arrest in the media.

“They wrote a letter to the media calling for my arrest. I saw my arrest in the news before I even received a letter from the police,” she recounted.

According to her, such actions are often intended to discourage women from actively participating in politics.

“All these things are done just to discourage you so that you will give up,” she added.