The Affirmation Action Gender Equity Bill 2024, which has been in and out of Parliament since 2011, was finally passed unanimously by the House yesterday.
The now-awaiting law to become law with presidential assent is expected to ensure that a critical number of women hold key positions in governance, public life, and decision-making spaces, thereby improving the lives of women in the country.
The bill also seeks to encourage efforts towards addressing socio-cultural, political, economic, and educational gender imbalances in the private and public sectors, per Clause 4 of Article 17 of the 1992 Constitution.
The bill, which consists of 34 clauses and six schedules, seeks a 50/50 percent representation and participation of both women and men in governance, public positions of power, and all decision-making processes of the state.
The Minister of Gender, Children, and Social Protection, Darkoa Newmann, moved the motion for passage, and it was passed unanimously by the House.
The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, however, explained that there was still more that needed to be done to ensure true equity among the genders.
Speaking to the media after the passage, Madam Patricia Appiagyei, the Member of Parliament for Asokwa, expressed her elation and said the bill will go a long way toward enhancing the gender disparities in Ghana.
Madam Shiela Minka Preko, the convenor of the Affirmative Action Bill Ghana and a key stakeholder on the issue, also spoke with the media.
