Can Ghana make mixed-gender presidential ticket mandatory?

Over time, I have come to reflect on what appears to or could be a compelling democratic and normative principle. Remember, IT CAN BE DONE!!!

Any nation that positions itself as a champion of women’s inclusion and takes pride in the active participation of women in public affairs must carry a corresponding responsibility to cultivate political structures that make the attainment of its highest offices by women both possible and ordinary.

I mean, it must be ordinary, natural, and without any hindrances, without any consideration, as the Gen Zs will put it, with no stress!!

The credibility of a state’s commitment to gender inclusion cannot rest solely on the numerical presence of women within governance; rather, it is tested by whether its institutional arrangements permit women to compete for and occupy positions at the apex of political authority.

Where pathways to the highest offices remain disproportionately inaccessible, the promise of inclusion risks becoming more rhetorical than substantive.

So, this is what I think and also believe in: the presence of women in the most senior leadership roles serves not merely as a symbolic achievement but as evidence that democratic representation and equal opportunity are functioning as intended, where women rest, without having to struggle to be recognised, as an integral part of a country’s PRESIDENTIAL SET-UP.

According to available research, no sovereign state has made it a constitutional requirement for the President and Vice President to be of opposite sexes.

This is where I think my country, Ghana, has a rare opportunity to break new ground and set a global benchmark for gender-balanced leadership.

These thoughts may sound interesting and strange, but if they do to you, then that is all the more reason I believe they must be given some attention. Because we are engaged in the fight against gender imbalances, you are aware of this, right?

Ghana must lead the way by adopting exclusively gender-balanced presidential tickets.

Such a reform would strengthen the country’s commitment to gender equality while promoting the empowerment of both women and men in national leadership.

Rather than treating definite inclusion as an aspiration, Ghana should make it a defining feature of its democratic system.

The country MUST be intentional about promoting inclusive and balanced representation in its topmost leadership, the** Presidency.**

As a media practitioner, I have seen countless examples of women making exceptional contributions to Ghana’s development across politics, business, education, healthcare, and community leadership.

Their achievements demonstrate that leadership is not defined by gender but by competence, vision, and dedication.

A gender-balanced presidency would therefore not be a symbolic gesture; it would be a deliberate recognition of the immense value that both women and men bring to governance.

The country talks so much about elevating the narrative of gender balance, where women are expected to be given equal voices.

But I think the Presidency and the political class must give flesh and a clear voice to the quest to be champions in the fight for gender equality.

But how are we doing this? Our current mode of empowering women seems progressive, but I think it can be given a taller motivation, which, in effect, will help our collective agenda of empowering the girl child.

At the very least, a legal requirement for mixed-gender presidential tickets would ensure that the Presidency serves both as a driver of implementation and as a strong incentive or powerful motivation for achieving gender representation targets, you don’t agree?

The 2024 elections marked a historic turning point for our country. For the first time, we elected a female vice President.

Should we not build on this achievement rather than deliberately burying the progress we have made?

The selection of HE Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang as the first female Vice President has, even from my basic observation and research, inspired many women and girls to see themselves as capable of reaching the highest levels of leadership.

Her achievement stands as a powerful symbol of what is possible when barriers to women’s political participation are broken.

Indeed, the year 2024 marked a significant turning point in our nation’s journey toward gender inclusion.

That year gave birth to the very momentum that should motivate this call today. Furthermore, 2024 brought finality to the country’s Affirmative Action agenda, reinforcing our collective commitment to creating equal opportunities for all.

It is this progress that I intend to champion, ensuring that the gains we have made are not only preserved but strengthened for future generations.

**“**Ghana’s Affirmative Action (Gender Equity) Act, 2024 (Act 1121) aims to achieve gender equality and representation across public and private sectors in Ghana. It was passed by Parliament on July 30, 2024, and assented to, on September 11, 2024”

This feat is indeed enviable. Yet, while we celebrated the passage of the Affirmative Action Act, we may have overlooked the bigger picture: the opportunity to adopt a more transformative approach (Mandatory gender-balanced presidential tickets) that would not only advance gender equity at home but also position Ghana as a global leader and model for inclusive governance.

I am also aware, from my research, that the First Schedule of the Affirmative Action (Gender Equity) Act, 2024 sets progressive targets for female representation in decision-making and public and private institutions:

30 per cent representation between 2024 and 2026,

** 35 per cent between 2027 and 2028,**

and a gradual increase to 50 per cent gender parity between 2029 and 2034.

While these targets are commendable, they raise an important question: why did we not begin from the very top, the Presidency? If the objective is to institutionalise gender equality, then the highest office of the land should have been the starting point.

A constitutional requirement for a gender-balanced presidential ticket would not only have demonstrated Ghana’s unwavering commitment to equity, but would also have provided a clear, mandatory roadmap for implementation across all sectors.

Leadership sets the tone for society!!!

By making it a legal requirement for every presidential ticket to comprise a man and a woman, Ghana would move beyond declarations and targets to firm and material action. Such a reform would transform the Presidency into both a symbol of inclusion and a practical mechanism for advancing gender balance.

Just as Ghanaian society has long embraced the idea of partnership between men and women as a foundation for social progress, our democratic system should reflect the same principle.

The Presidency should not be the preserve of one gender. Rather, by law, it should embody the partnership of both, whether through a male-female or female-male ticket, as a visible commitment to equality, representation, and national unity.

I grew up watching single people of marriageable age being encouraged, and often pressured, to find companions of the opposite sex.

Unsurprisingly, the merchants of such marriage pressures usually emerged from one’s immediate social circles: friends, close relatives, family members, and, most predictably, parents, who often serve as the chief purveyors of the “find a companion” expectation.

Therefore, if society can be so deliberate in promoting male-female companionship in the institution of marriage and family-building, then we should all agree that male-male domination, particularly within our presidential affairs, must become a thing of the past.

We must be equally deliberate in addressing this imbalance!!!

My argument is, Ghana can lead in the space to demand that no political party present gender-biased candidates for elections, and that must certainly be a constitutional requirement.

Many states require gender parity in legislatures, candidate lists, cabinets, or public appointments, but these rules generally do not extend to a mandatory male-female or female-male presidential ticket.

WHAT I FOUND ABOUT AFRICA

Through quick research, I noticed that Africa has demonstrated that women can successfully occupy the highest offices of state. Countries such as Liberia, Tanzania, Malawi, Ethiopia, Namibia, and Ghana have all recorded historic breakthroughs in female political leadership.

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia became Africa’s first democratically elected female President and is widely celebrated for leading her nation through post-war reconstruction while advancing women’s rights.

Similarly, Samia Suluhu Hassan became Tanzania’s first female President, while Joyce Banda served as President of Malawi and pursued governance and economic reforms. Sahle-Work Zewde made history as Ethiopia’s first female President, and Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah broke new ground in Namibia by becoming the country’s first female President.

These developments demonstrate that African women have repeatedly proven their capacity to lead at the highest level of government.

Yet, despite these achievements, women’s representation in Africa’s highest political offices remains the exception rather than the norm.

Ghana therefore has an opportunity not merely to celebrate these successes but to build upon them through institutionalising gender-balanced presidential tickets.

Such a bold reform would position the country as a continental leader in inclusive governance and demonstrate a commitment to transforming gender equality from aspiration into constitutional practice.

My beloved country, Ghana retires in March; the country will be 70 years old, which marks seven decades since it gained formal independence from British colonial rule. This retirement should actually mean renewal, reset, and upgrade.

It must start here!

It must end the usual dominant male-male Presidency

God Bless Ghana!

I am Kwame Anum, Media Practitioner and a diplomat.