By Priscilla Oye Ofori
Accra, Aug. 25, GNA – Public institutions have been urged to lead a culture shift and not just meet reporting requirements, as implementation of the Affirmative Action (Gender Equity) Act, 2024 (Act 1121) begins.
Dr Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, made the call in a speech read on her behalf at a capacity-building workshop organised by the Ministry on Monday with support from SIGRA for public institutions on the implementation of the Affirmative Action Act.
She said the Act made gender equity a legal requirement, not just a policy goal, adding that a directive from the Office of the President calls on institutions to develop gender policies and submit periodic reports to the Ministry.
Dr Lartey said the bigger task was changing how institutions planned, recruited, promoted and made decisions, adding that while compliance was mandatory, real impact would come from leadership.
“Gender equity is not only a matter of social justice. It is a prerequisite for sustainable national development. A nation that fully harnesses the talents of both women and men is better positioned for prosperity, resilience and inclusive growth,” the Minister said.
She urged leadership to ensure gender equity became part of institutional planning, service delivery and day-to-day decision making – not treated as an add-on.
“We have an opportunity to transform our institutions, strengthen governance, and build a more inclusive and equitable society for present and future generations,” she added.
The Ministry, Dr Lartey said, through the Department of Gender, was mandated to coordinate implementation under Section 30 of the Act, and had set up the Gender Equity Committee and Secretariat, and released reporting templates for institutions.
The reports would help monitor gaps and inform policy, she noted, stressing that data alone was not enough.
Madam Lauren Itven, Team Lead, SIGRA Project, urged institutions to prioritise collecting gender-disaggregated data, and gender-responsive budgeting.
“I really hope that some of these are taken to heart. If anything, go back to your own institutions and start collecting gender-disaggregated data. It’s in having this data that we’re able to assess the current situation and also track progress,” she said.
Madam Lauren recounted a 2023 workshop on gender equality where participants cited an increase in women elected at the district level as progress.
“When I asked what the increase was, no one knew. So, we looked it up. The increase in women representatives between 2019 and 2023 for district level elections was 0.3 per cent after four years,” she said.
“In a population where there’s more than 50 per cent women, to have elected representatives at the district level make up only 4.3 per cent … you can see there’s something not right. There’s still progress that needs to be made.”
GNA
Edited by Agnes Boye-Doe
By Priscilla Oye Ofori