NPP’s GH¢5,000 parliamentary application fee could sideline women, youth – GenCED

The Gender Centre for Empowering Development (GenCED) has expressed concern over the proposed GH¢5,000 parliamentary candidate application fee introduced by the New Patriotic Party (NPP). This fee could exacerbate financial obstacles to political participation, particularly for women, young people, and individuals with disabilities.

The NPP justified the charges, stating they are essential to ensure serious candidates advance to the nomination stage. However, GenCED questioned whether the increasing cost of contesting political office might make access to leadership more dependent on financial resources rather than candidates' competence and dedication to public service.

The centre highlighted that women candidates frequently encounter additional challenges in gathering the necessary funds, including unequal economic opportunities, limited access to influential networks, and the burden of unpaid care responsibilities. They warned that the GH¢5,000 fee could deter well-qualified women who lack wealthy sponsors or established financial networks from pursuing political careers.

GenCED emphasized that the application fee is just one aspect of the financial demands candidates face, with other costs including transportation, campaign activities, constituency engagement, and internal party elections. They expressed worry that reliance on financial capacity to enter politics could reduce the number of potential leaders and maintain women's underrepresentation in Parliament.

The organization called on the NPP to review the fee and assess its impact on women, young people, and economically disadvantaged candidates. They recommended introducing transparent fee reductions or waivers for those with structural financial barriers and providing clearer communication about fee determination and fund management.

GenCED also urged other political parties to evaluate their candidate selection and financing practices, ensuring financial requirements do not hinder inclusive political participation.