Attacks on Lordina Mahama, Samira Bawumia reinforce unequal power – Victoria Hamah

Dr Victoria Lakshmi Hamah, founder of the Progressive Organisation for Women's Advancement (POWA), has harshly criticized the personal attacks and gendered mockery aimed at First Lady Lordina Mahama and former Second Lady Samira Bawumia. In a press release published on September 29, 2026, Dr Hamah argued that these attacks reinforce existing gendered power structures that hinder women's collective political influence in Ghana.

Dr Hamah emphasized that political differences between the two women should not be used to turn women against each other. She stressed that women can belong to different political parties and hold opposing views without becoming enemies. According to Dr Hamah, while accountability is necessary, it should not involve humiliation, misogyny, or personal attacks.

The issue, Dr Hamah pointed out, is part of a broader pattern where prominent women are subjected to public humiliation, diverting attention from critical structural challenges such as inadequate political representation, economic inequality, violence against women, unequal access to opportunities, and the disproportionate burden of unpaid care work. She noted that Mahama and Bawumia, holding high-profile political positions, could use their platforms to address women's issues.

Dr Hamah called on women's rights organizations, civil society groups, and the general public to reject the normalization of gendered insults and personal attacks against women in public life. She urged men who support equality to condemn such attacks and encouraged political actors to demonstrate that political competition and respect for women's dignity can coexist.

Additionally, Dr Hamah urged the First Lady and former Second Lady to consider leading a broader conversation about women's political solidarity beyond party lines. She emphasized that Ghana needs more women at the decision-making table who can disagree without destroying one another. Dr Hamah concluded by asserting that women's power is ultimately people's power, and we cannot allow partisan politics to divide women when there is so much work to be done together.