POWA calls for end to gendered attacks on Lordina Mahama, Samira Bawumia

The Progressive Organisation for Women’s Advancement (POWA) has urged an end to gendered attacks and personal insults directed at First Lady Lordina Mahama and former Second Lady Samira Bawumia. In a statement, POWA argued that such behavior undermines the dignity and political agency of women in public life. The organization highlighted that women can hold opposing political views while still respecting one another.

POWA emphasized that political platforms should not be used to pit women against each other. While acknowledging that women in political office must remain accountable, POWA stressed that accountability should not involve humiliation or misogyny. The organization pointed out that women’s political experiences are influenced by gender, class, and access to power.

POWA argued that when women focus their political energy on one another, attention can shift away from systemic issues that hinder women's participation. These issues include inadequate political representation, economic inequality, violence against women, unequal access to opportunities, unpaid care responsibilities, and barriers to decision-making.

POWA called on women’s rights organizations, civil society groups, and the public to reject the normalization of gendered attacks against women in public life. The organization urged Ghana’s prominent women in politics to identify areas of common interest and work together for a collective women’s agenda. POWA emphasized that solidarity does not require political uniformity, but rather recognizing that advancing women’s collective development is more important than any political party.

The group also called on men who support gender equality to reject gendered political attacks and urged all political actors to demonstrate respect for women’s dignity. POWA urged Lordina Mahama and Samira Bawumia to lead a broader conversation on women’s political solidarity beyond party lines. The group noted the need for more women in decision-making positions who can disagree politically without undermining one another.