President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has given his assent to the Affirmative Action (Gender Equity) Bill 2024. The bill was enacted by Parliament on July 30, 2024, and had been in and out of session since 2011.
Now that the assent has been obtained, the implementation is the only thing remaining.
According to the Minister of Gender, Children, and Social Protection, Dakoa Newman, The President approved the bill on Thursday afternoon.
Parliament passed the landmark Affirmative Action (Gender Equity) Bill on Tuesday, July 30, 2024. The bill’s passing marks a historic legislative endeavor in Ghana’s continued quest for gender balance in all spheres of society.
History of the Bill
The Affirmative Action Bill was first introduced in Parliament in 2016. This was to prioritize an increase in women’s participation in governance and decision-making at all levels.
The bill encourages rules and processes to ensure that underrepresented groups, especially women, minorities, and people with disabilities, have equal opportunities. It also promotes the active involvementnof these groups in decision-making at all levels of leadership in the nation.
The Affirmative Action (Gender Equity) Bill 2024, therefore, represents a significant step forward in Ghana’s efforts to achieve gender equality. Key areas such as education, health, employment, and governance are addressed to align with international standards.
The bill aligns with international conventions and regional agreements to which Ghana is a signatory. These include the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
As a signatory to all these conventions and charters, the government is mandated to integrate these obligations into national policies and programs to promote gender equality at all levels.
Aim of Affirmative Action Bill
The bill has three distinct goals for gender representation: thirty percent by 2026, thirty-five percent by 2028, and fifty percent by 2030. These quotas apply to appointments to leadership positions in public offices, governance positions, and decision-making roles.
In Ghana, despite making up more than half of the nation’s population (51.2%), only 13.8%, representing fewer than 30% of ministers, are women. In the just-concluded 2023 municipal elections, women made up just 4.1% of the elected assembly members.
The bill, when implemented, will ensure gender-responsive budgeting. This is where government ministries, departments, agencies, and district assemblies must include budget lines for addressing gender-specific issues in their plans.
Also, the bill will ensure that political parties achieve progressive gender equality targets in participation and representation.
The bill cuts across several sectors, which include the Ministry of Education which is to ensure gender balance in access and opportunity to education at all levels.
It also includes provisions for reviewing curricula to include courses on gender equality, establishing programs to address barriers to education for girls, and providing appropriate interventions in deprived districts.
Particular emphasis is placed on promoting girls’ education through various incentives and support mechanisms, ensuring their retention and success in the education system.
