A young woman who has declared her intention to contest the Damongo Constituency NPP Women’s Organizer position has identified societal stereotyping and resource constraints as the two major barriers preventing young women from venturing into electoral politics.
Sofo Rafia made the remarks on Friday, 29th May 2026, during a radio discussion on the Monetization of Politics in Ghana on Spear FM, on the topic: “Why Young People Struggle to Enter Electoral Politics,” sponsored by the Gender Center for Empowering Development (GENCED).
She lamented that although many young women harbour the desire to take up political leadership, negative societal comments such as accusations of being a prostitute or allegations of controlling their husbands serve as powerful deterrents that drive women away from politics.
“Resource constraints is one of the biggest challenges young women face when it comes to venturing into political leadership,” she added.
Sofo Rafia also appealed to husbands to be understanding and supportive of wives who aspire to political leadership, stressing that young women have much to offer in driving development in the Savannah Region.
She further called on young women to broaden their political ambitions beyond the traditional women’s organizer role, urging them to contest for positions such as party chairperson, organizer, secretary, and communications director in their respective parties.
“Party chairperson, organizer, secretary or communications director is not reserved for only men. Women can also take up these positions,” she said.
It is her hope that one day, a woman will rise to become the national party chairperson of either the NPP or the NDC.
(Cue Audio of Sofo Rafia on Women in Politics)
