Accra, Oct. 3, GNA – A Gender advocate, Ms Josephine Oppong-Yeboah, has expressed confidence that the effective implementation of Ghana’s Affirmative Action law will significantly enhance the nation’s governance structure.
She said the inherent empathy of women would steer them away from actions that could harm the broader interests of the populace.
“Women have always been sidelined, but this is the time for their voices to be heard,” she emphasised.
In a statement copied to the Ghana News Agency, Ms Oppong-Yeboah said while the law had been enacted, its success lied in its careful and deliberate implementation.
She insisted that both public and private institutions must actively ensure that the Affirmative Action Act does not remain a policy just on paper, but a reality in practice.
Highlighting some global examples, she said countries where women had been given opportunities in leadership, were already witnessing positive outcomes.
She advised Ghanaians not to leave the document on the shelves to gather dust but rather put it to good use.
Ms Oppong-Yeboah also praised the efforts of all stakeholders who played diverse roles in passing the Affirmative Action Bill and commended President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for assenting to it.
“We have shown that together, we can protect and uplift the rights and welfare of women,” she noted.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo officially signed the Affirmative Action Gender Equity Bill 2024, passed by Parliament in July.
This law seeks to address gender imbalances in Ghana’s socio-cultural, economic, and political spheres, and promote gender equity in both public and private sectors.
The announcement of the President’s approval of the Bill by signing it was made by Ms Dakoa Newman, the Minister of Gender, Children, and Social Protection, on September 19, 2024.
GNA