A week ago today, an act of violence perpetrated by NDC goons took place that was so repulsive, so vile, that the stomach of any right thinking person would turn – regardless of political affiliation. In the long litany of nefarious campaign tactics employed by the governing party, this is by far the worst. The violence meted out by NDC thugs in Suhum, to the NPP Loyal Ladies, marks a new ugly watershed in this election campaign. For it is clearly indicative of the misogyny that lies at the heart of the NDC. As iterated previously, violence perpetrated against women would repulse all right thinking people, regardless of party affiliation. The fact that the NDC leader, President Mahama, has not condemned the attacks, can only be construed as him giving said attacks his tacit approval.
When a group of women, who are doing no more than campaigning for a cause they believe in, can be violently attacked, it is indicative that democracy has broken down. In theory, Ghana is a democracy. The Suhum incident tells us, in practice, the reality is different. Suhum is the latest in a long line of violent incidents involving NDC thugs. And yet again, the leadership of the NDC remains silent of the violence perpetrated by its foot soldiers. Suhum marks a new low in that this violence was perpetrated against women who are already the most downtrodden and marginalised members of society, as a plethora of damning statistics would indicate. Gender-based violence is sadly a cancer that spreads beneath the fabric of Ghanaian culture. Victims tend to suffer in silence. It is an area in which government should be taking a vigorous and active lead in order to send out the message that gender-based violence is wholly unacceptable. On the contrary, however, what can be deduced from the Suhum incident, is that the governing party is a wholesale perpetrator in the violent misogyny that it should be fighting against. On this basis alone, the NDC are not fit to govern.
President Mahama is fond of making grand pronouncements on issues of women’s rights and gender equality. Indeed, he has claimed to be a “strong believer in women’s rights and gender equality.” Indeed, his there are a number of women that sit in his government. However, this is all lip-service and window dressing. The reality for women in Ghana tells a different story.
In 2010, out of 12, 706 case of domestic violence reported in the country, only 954 were sent to court and only 118 resulted in convictions. There is nothing to indicate that the situation has improved 6 years later. Indeed, at least 44.5% of Ghanaian women have been on the receiving end of domestic violence. This is the damning reality for women in Ghana, which renders irrelevant President Mahama’s pronouncements on gender equality. It also makes a mockery of his dubious receiving the 2016 ‘Africa Gender Equality Award”, an award at the time that Mahama claimed at the time to be “delighted” to receive. In all honesty, it is an award Mahama should in fact, be ashamed of. For the statistics indicate that he has done nothing to advance the cause of women in Ghana. The Suhum incident is indicative that he presides over a party that employs gender-based violence amongst its campaigning tactics. Mahama is not fit to be president and his party is not fit to govern. How can it be when it treats a majority of the population, women, with contempt?
The NDC is a misogynistic party. It has failed in the advancement of the cause of women and tacitly condones violence perpetrated against them. In one hand, Mahama hypocritically holds his 2016 Africa Gender Equality Award, whist with the other, he gives the wave of approval for NDC goons to carry out gender-based violence. If he was serious about women’s rights and gender equality, he would condemn outright the incident witnessed in Suhum. It is what any right-thinking politician, who would put country above party, would do. Indeed, it is most instructive to compare and contrast the obloquy received by Donald Trump, by his own party, after his misogynistic comments. Basic human decency should cross the bounds of political divides. It is a lesson Mahama would do well to heed.