President Akufo-Addo Assents to Affirmative Action Bill 2024

The Gender Equality Bill, 2024, which had been in parliament since 2011 and was finally unanimously passed by parliament on 30 July 2024, has been assented to by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

Now that we have obtained approval, all that is left is implementation.

Minister of Gender, Children and Social Security Dakoa Newman announced on Thursday afternoon that the president had given his assent to the bill.

On Tuesday 30 July 2024, Parliament passed the historic Affirmative Action (Gender Equality) Act.

The adoption of the Bill represents a landmark step in Ghana’s legislative process aimed at ensuring gender parity in all sectors of society.

The bill aims to address the historical and systemic gender imbalance that has long permeated the country’s political, social, economic and cultural landscape.

The Affirmative Action Bill was first introduced to Parliament in 2016 to prioritise increasing women’s participation in management and decision-making at all levels.

The programme promotes diversity at all levels and sets out policies and procedures to ensure that underrepresented groups, in particular women, minorities and vulnerable people, have equal opportunities and can actively participate in decision-making at all levels of leadership in the country.

The Affirmative Action (Gender Equity) Bill 2024 therefore represents a significant step forward in Ghana’s efforts to achieve gender equality. By addressing key areas such as education, health, employment, governance and alignment with international standards, the bill lays the foundation for a more equitable and inclusive society.

The Bill is in line with international conventions and regional agreements to which Ghana is a signatory, such as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

By incorporating these international standards, the Act ensures that Ghana’s efforts towards gender equality are in line with best practices and global commitments. As a signatory to all these conventions and charters, the government is committed to integrating these commitments into national policies and programmes to promote gender equality at all levels.

The law sets specific targets for gender representation, aiming for 30 percent by 2026, 35 percent by 2028 and 50 percent by 2030. These quotas apply to public office appointments, management positions, decision-making roles and leadership positions in various sectors.

While women make up more than half of the country’s population, at 51.2 percent, they make up only 13.8 percent of members of parliament and less than 30 percent of ministers, members of the State Council, heads of public institutions and boards. In the recently concluded local elections in 2023, only 4.1 percent of elected assembly members were women.

The bill, which has yet to receive Presidential assent, will, once implemented, ensure that budgeting is gender-sensitive and all ministries, departments, agencies and county assemblies will be required to include budget lines to address gender issues in their plans.

Furthermore, the bill will ensure that political parties achieve progressive gender equality goals in terms of participation and representation.

They must adopt measures to support gender equality in candidate nominations and nominations for party leadership positions. Political parties are also required to provide information and financial resources to support gender equality initiatives.

The Electoral Commission monitors compliance, ensuring that political parties develop and adhere to gender equality policies and submit annual progress reports on the implementation of these policies.

The bill covers several sectors, including the Ministry of Education, which aims to ensure gender balance in access to education and learning opportunities at all levels.

It includes provisions for revising curricula to include gender equality courses, establishing programs to remove barriers to girls’ education and providing appropriate interventions in poverty-stricken neighborhoods. Particular emphasis is placed on promoting girls’ education through various incentives and support mechanisms, ensuring their retention and success in the education system.

Source: graphiconline

Reservation: The opinions expressed here are the opinions of the authors and do not reflect the opinions of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com does not assume any legal or other responsibility for the accuracy of the content. Please report any inappropriate content to us and we will evaluate it as a priority.

Featured video