Nigeria/Ghana: The First Lady syndrome and the marginalisation of women from power

This article seeks to explore the dynamics of marginalising women from political power, and the ways in which "First Ladies" have sought to intervene through their special position as spouses of men in power. In many African countries, the First Lady phenomenon has opened doors for women that had previously been closed. At the same time, it has created a dynamic in which political space has been appropriated and used by the wives and friends of men in power for purposes of personal aggrandisement, rather than for furthering the interests of women.