Parliament Of Ghana Passes Gender Equity Law To Step Up Women Empowerment

Ghana’s lawmakers on Tuesday July 30, 2024 passed the much anticipated law to give more opportunities to women at the national level, with a target to increase their participation in governance and decision-making process to a minimum of 30% by 2030 under the requirements of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The Affirmative Action (Gender Equity) Bill 2024, passed by the Ghanaian MPs brings finality to the advocacy started almost three decades ago for a more equitable society through laid down processes to address the socio-cultural, political, economic, and educational imbalances in private and public sectors in accordance with clause 4 of Article 17 of the 1992 Constitution.

The new law will take effect after receiving presidential assent.

Speaking after the passage on the floor of the House, the Speaker of the Ghanaian Parliament Alban Sumana Kinsford Bagbin said the country must now act to implement the requirements of the law, inspired by the 1992 Constitution which says the state must take steps to ensure gender equality and equity.

“Don’t just celebrate and don’t really put in place the vision that we have created for the country. But more importantly, I hope that members will commit themselves to the constitutional reforms. We need to do more there to be able to create this free and just society we are looking for to liberate more of our women to be able to support us to be able to develop mother Ghana,” Speaker Bagbin said.

The composition of women in Ghana’s 275-member parliament currently is less than 15%, far less than the 30% target set out by the United Nations for all countries.