Political Advertising and Gender Representation: Investigating Male Dominance in Ghana's 2024 Presidential and Parliamentary Campaigns

Abstract

This study critically investigates gender representation in political advertising during Ghana's 2024 presidential and parliamentary elections, with a specific focus on the two dominant political parties: the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC). Gender Representation Theory guided this study. The target population for this study includes political advertisements from these two parties, as well as a diverse group of voters across the 16 regions of Ghana. The research employs a qualitative methodology involving content analysis, semi-structured interviews, and observational techniques. Campaign materials such as posters, billboards, and campaign vehicles (pick-ups) from the NPP and NDC are analyzed to assess the gender dynamics in candidate representation. The analysis reveals a significant male predominance in the visual portrayal of candidates, with male candidates being more prominently featured than female candidates. This trend has profound implications for public perceptions of leadership, reinforcing traditional gender roles in the political arena. Furthermore, semi-structured interviews with voters across various demographic categories provide insights into how these gendered portrayals influence voter attitudes and perceptions of political equity. The findings highlight the pervasive challenges faced by women in Ghana’s political landscape, including the underrepresentation and marginalization of female candidates in political ads. The study concludes that political advertising plays a crucial role in perpetuating gender disparities in political leadership. It recommends that political parties in Ghana take proactive steps to ensure more equitable representation of women in campaign materials, thereby promoting gender inclusivity in the political sphere. Anchored in gender representation theory, this research contributes to the broader discourse on gender equality in political participation, offering a critical lens through which to understand the intersection of media, politics, and gender in contemporary elections in Ghana.