The Women Factor in Gendered Student Activism in Ghana from Independence to the Present

ABSTRACT

The essentiality of student activism in Ghana is revealed through the role students played in ensuring political stability, economic accountability, and human rights preservation. Scholarly debates are either silent on the gendered nature of student activism or treat women student activists as insignificant participants. Student activism is typically construed around illustrious men and important men-centered events. Men’s voices dominated due to demographical advantage, gender-blind policies, the socialization of the sexes, and the seeming violence attached to student activism. Using the qualitative research design, this study draws on original data to argue that women have been significant players in Ghanaian student activism even though there have been certain socio-political barriers to women’s student activism. The article interrogates femininity/masculinity in Ghanaian universities, institutional cultures influencing student activism, and gender inequality in enrollment. It highlights the unique role women played in student activism in Ghana’s universities.