Groups and individuals have hailed the passage of the Affirmative Action (Gender Equity) Bill, 2024, describing it as a major step forward in the fight for women’s empowerment in the country.
Including the Affirmative Action Bill Coalition, ActionAid Ghana, and the People’s National Party (PNP) they said the bill, when assented to, would address the gender disparities that have long existed in Ghanaian society.
A statement issued yesterday by Sheila Minkah-Premo, the Affirmative Action Bill Coalition’s convener, said the passage of the law after 13 years of advocacy was a historic moment for Ghana.
“By enshrining measures to provide for affirmative action in the public and private sectors, in simple terms, the passage of this law will ensure the progressive achievement of gender balance in all sectors by the set targets in the law,” the statement said.
It, therefore, urged President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to assent to the bill promptly and also called on all Ghanaians to ensure the implementation of this law towards the achievement of gender parity by the year 2030.
The statement said the law’s passage was a testament to the dedication of the Coalition, which since the first draft in 2011 had been instrumental in the provision of technical resources, lobbying, advocacy, and raising awareness.
The Coalition thanked Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin, Minister of Gender Dakoa Newman, current and former Chairpersons of the Parliamentary Committee on Gender and Children, and all parliamentarians who supported the Bill.
It also expressed appreciation for the Convener, Coordinator, and members of the Coalition’s Steering Committee, the technical team who drafted the Bill, past Ministers of Gender who contributed over the years, and ABANTU for Development, the Coalition’s host organisation.
“As we celebrate this victory, the Coalition remains committed to continuing our work to advance gender equality in Ghana and ensure that women are progressively integrated into key decision-making processes in this country,” it said.
The People’s National Party (PNP) has commended “the current Parliament for its historic decision, even under pressure, affirming that it is the most progressive Parliament since the inception of our democracy,” the party said in a press statement on Tuesday.
Signed by its Chairperson and National Leader, Janet Asana Nabla, the statement further said after the President assents to the bill, Ghana would join the ranks of African nations such as South Africa, Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya, and Tanzania that have already enacted similar legislation.
ActionAid, in a Facebook post attributed to its Country Director, John Nkaw, said the passage was timely and would go a long way toward eradicating age-old gender inequality and helping to address power imbalances in the country stemming from historical discrimination against women and persistent patriarchal socio-cultural systems and norms.
“This also means that citizens and CSOs, while celebrating this achievement, need to study the content of the bill and determine how we can monitor its effective implementation and practice,” he said.
Former Gender Minister and Human Rights lawyer, Nana Oye Bampoe Addo, who has supported the advocacy over the years, in a Facebook post congratulated all those who fought and supported the process.
Her successor at the Ministry, Otiko Afisa Djaba told Joynews that the passage of the law was in the right direction that would advance women empowerment in the country.
BY TIMES REPORTER
