By: Franklin ASARE-DONKOH
A Non-Governmental Organisation, Abantu for Development, and some other women’s groups have called on the government to pass the Affirmative Action Bill into law immediately.
The Affirmative Action Bill to be passed by parliament has been on the shelf for over a decade without seeing the light of day. To this end Abantu for Development with support from the African women’s development fund has held a press conference to remind the government of the passage of the bill.
Touching on the theme for the press conference; “The Necessity of an Affirmative Action law in Enhancing women participation in election 2023”, the convenor of the Affirmative Action Bill Coalition. Mrs. Sheila Minka-Premo said the Bill has kept long to be passed by parliamentarians in as much as the law presents itself as the most guaranteed way for achieving women’s increased participation in Ghana’s 2023 District level elections.
According to her, it is, therefore, necessary for all steps to be seized to ensure the passage of Ghana’s Affirmative Action bill prior to the 2023 District and Local Level Elections.
Madam Minka-Premo explained that failure on the part of parliament to pass the bill this year will call for massive picketing and protests from all women’s groups in the country.
Ghana’s 1992 Constitution, under the directive principles of State Policy, in Articles 35(5) and 35(6) enjoins the State to put in place activities to promote the integration of all citizens and prohibit any form of discrimination on the basis of gender in order to achieve gender balance.
In addition to these constitutional provisions, Ghana is a signatory to various global conventions and protocols that mandate it to ensure a minimum of 30% representation of women in all its decision-making spaces.
Some of these global frameworks include The Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), the Beijing Platform for Action, the Protocol on Women’s Rights, the Solemn Declaration on Gender Equality, and the Sustainable Development Goals, mention but a few.
These global instruments mandate parties to put in place measures that would increase women’s participation in all governance processes.
In spite of the legal framework cited above, women’s participation in the decision-making process has remained below the 30% threshold since Ghana’s 1992 Republican Constitution.
Mrs. Minka-Premo noted that the Affirmative Action law presents itself as the most guaranteed way for achieving women’s increased participation in Ghana’s 2023 District and Local Level Elections and it is very important that the President and Parliamentarians ensure the passage of the Affirmative Action Bill prior to the 2023 District level elections.
In October 2023, Ghanaians would go to the polls to elect members to serve in the district assemblies nationwide.
Meanwhile, the Principal Programme Officer, Department of Gender, Madam Sabia Kpekata, speaking on the forthcoming District level elections, noted that the ministry through the department of gender has put in place the following activities to strengthen its advocacy on women in leadership and decision-making at the local level:
1. Liaise with CSOs/NGOs/Development partners to organize a sensitization programme for communities to vote for female aspirants in the upcoming district-level elections.
2. Training female aspirants on the local government system and public speaking
3. Lobby for free airtime for female aspirants to campaign
Adding that, an affirmative action bill is Ghana’s only way of attaining gender equality with respect to women’s participation in decision-making.
She commended Abantu for Development and the Affirmative Action Coalition for sustaining advocacy for the passage of Ghana’s affirmative action bill into law and supporting women at the local level to participate in the district-level elections.
