Member of Parliament for Abuakwa North, Gifty Twum – Ampofo has underscored the urgent need for the passage of the Affirmative Action Bill.
The Legislator while acknowledging that the bill will not completely take off gender inequality, assured that it will facilitate the process in achieving gender equality in Ghana.
The Abuakwa North MP highlighted the impact of more advocacy for the Affirmative Action bill even at the grassroot level.
“There are also a lot of work that has to be done. A lot of advocacies not only at the Apex but at the base so that some cultures which have affected women for a long time will be addressed.
“It is not completely what is going to take off gender inequality but will go a long way to bring some parity,” she stated in an interview with Evelyn Tengmaa.
The Affirmative Action bill, which has been in Parliament for over a decade, is likely to be passed at least before the dissolution of the 8th Parliament.
The much-awaited bill is supposed to ensure gender equality in all spheres of life, particularly in leadership and decision-making.
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 5, thus achieving gender equality and empowerment of all women and girls by 2030 appears even more remote given the setbacks of the COVID-19 pandemic according to a 2022 UN Women report.
The 2021 Global Gender Gap Index indicates that Ghana is doing worse than most countries in advancing toward gender equality, ranking the country 117th out of 156 countries, 23rd in sub-Saharan Africa.
While women outnumber men in the service sector, according to the Ghana statistical service 2021 census report, they are underrepresented at management levels.
Among 275 parliamentarians, only 40 representing 14.6% are women, and among 6,000 assembly members across the country, only 216 representing 3.6% are women.
But the long-awaited Affirmative Action Bill, which calls for a progressive increase in women’s active participation in the public bureaucracy to achieve parity by 2030, is yet to be passed.
The bill, when passed into law, is expected to promote democracy, inclusion and good governance at all levels of governance and decision-making in the country.
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Gender Minister makes passionate appeal for the immediate passage of the Affirmative Action Bill
