Chapter 9 Gender, Elections and Violence: Prising Women out of Democracy in Ghana Linda Darkwa Abstract Women constitute 51 percent of the population in Ghana and yet, they make up a mere 8.2 percent of the country's legislature. The low number of women representatives in competitively elected positions is largely attributable to election-related violence fostered by socio­cultural and economic conditions. This chapter examines the experiences of women with election-related violence, using analysis of primary and secondary data as well as case studies. It argues that in spite of common, election-related challenges faced by political aspirants, there are specific gender-related challenges that disproportionately affect female aspirants. It also posits that to fully appreciate the implications of election-related violence against women, it is useful to examine the experience of women with election­related physical, structural and symbolic violence. The paper argues that the experiences of women with election-related violence are best analysed through gendered lens in order to effectively identify such violence within the different contexts in which they occur. Finally, it draws attention to the need to examine women's experiences of election-related violence in a wider perspective in order to encompass the role of women as vectors of such violence. 276