As Ghana approaches the 2024 general elections, there has been a notable rise in the involvement of women within the political arena.

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Historically, men have dominated the nation’s political landscape, with women playing a marginal role in leadership at the highest levels of governance.

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However, this trend is shifting, with women increasingly making their mark in the upper ranks of Ghana’s politics.

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In this article, GhanaWeb highlights three women who stand a chance of making history as potential candidates for Ghana’s first female vice presidency.

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Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang

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A prominent figure in the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang first made headlines when she was chosen as John Mahama’s running mate for the 2020 elections.

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She is the former President of the Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE) and Chairperson of its Africa Board. In 2008, she broke barriers as the first woman to become Vice Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast (UCC), a major milestone in Ghana's higher education sector.

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Additionally, Prof. Opoku-Agyemang has represented Ghana on UNESCO’s Executive Board and served as the Minister of Education under John Mahama’s administration.

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Margaret Obrine Sarfo

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Margaret Obrine Sarfo is the vice-presidential candidate for the Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG). A staunch advocate for women’s empowerment, she has been inspired by the pioneering role of Nana Konadu Agyemang-Rawlings, the National Democratic Party (NDP) presidential candidate.

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Margaret Obrine Sarfo hails from Cape Coast in the Central Region and continues to push for greater representation of women in Ghanaian politics.

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Dr. Maryam Esaka Kriesie

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Running alongside Nana Kwame Bediako as his vice-presidential candidate, Dr. Maryam Esaka Kriesie brings a wealth of expertise from Ghana’s financial sector.

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She previously held a senior managerial role at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) of Ghana, where she oversaw investment management and helped shape regulatory policies within the capital markets. Beyond her work at the SEC, Dr. Kriesie has an academic career, lecturing at the University of Ghana Business School and the University of Professional Studies, Accra.

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With a PhD in Finance, an MBA, and certifications in Islamic Finance and ERP software, Dr. Kriesie is poised to contribute significantly to Ghana’s political and financial landscape.

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These women are breaking new ground in Ghana’s political space, and one of them could make history as the country’s first female vice president.

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