By Agnes Ansah
Accra, Sept. 17, GNA – Dr Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MoGCSP), on Thursday charged female journalists to play a leading role in ensuring that Ghana’s Affirmative Action (Gender Equity) Act, 2024 (Act 1121), translates into tangible outcomes for citizens.
Speaking at a workshop for women journalists in Accra, Dr Lartey said the country’s affirmative action journey had progressed from advocacy for legislation to the passage of the law, and now to the crucial stage of implementation.
“What we want to see its impact,” she said, noting that the Ministry had intentionally brought the journalists together to champion the cause and accelerate progress towards gender equity.
She emphasised that women advocating increased female representation in leadership must spearhead the campaign while actively engaging men as partners in the process.
Dr Lartey linked the agenda to President John Dramani Mahama’s upcoming tenure as Chairperson of the African Union, describing it as a significant opportunity for Ghana to advance women’s leadership across the continent.
She noted that the President, a global HeForShe Champion, and the African Union’s Gender and Development Champion, had demonstrated commitment to gender equality and should leverage his tenure to advance women’s participation in leadership at all levels.
Dr Lartey said the Ministry remained open to ideas and partnerships that would drive action both on the ground and in the media space, enabling the international community to appreciate Ghana’s efforts to increase women’s representation in leadership.
She expressed concern over the low representation of women in politics, particularly in Parliament and local government, noting that female representation in local governance remained at about four per cent despite elections being non-partisan.
The Minister said she missed opportunities in elective positions make it difficult to bridge the gender gap, underscoring the need for intensified public education to challenge harmful social norms and encourage more women to contribute to national development.
“When women thrive, men also benefit, and children become the ultimate beneficiaries,” she said.
Dr Lartey emphasised that the affirmative action agenda was not about advancing the interests of one group or one gender but about national development.
“If the nation is made up of two sexes, we cannot achieve our full growth and development potential with only one sex at the helm of affairs,” she stated.
Dr Charity Binka, Chairperson of the African Women Leaders Network (AWLN), also called for urgent action to ensure the law delivers meaningful results.
She described affirmative action as a development tool rather than solely a women’s issue, noting that the law requires a minimum of 30 per cent female representation in decision-making positions by 2026 and 50 per cent by 2030.
Dr Binka warned that Ghana remained far from achieving the 30 per cent target, despite the fast-approaching deadline, and had only a few years left to meet the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
While acknowledging the passage of the law as a major milestone, she said its real test would be the effective implementation.
She outlined three key roles for the media: educating the public on the provisions of the law; monitoring compliance by institutions required to submit gender equity policies and annual reports; and shaping positive narratives that promote women as leaders while challenging gender stereotypes.
Dr Marian Kpakpah, the Chief Director of the Ministry, said the media’s role was indispensable in advancing the objectives of the Act.
As journalists, editors, broadcasters and content creators who shaped national discourse and public opinion, she said media practitioners were critical to bringing the law closer to Ghanaians, promoting informed debate, challenging stereotypes, holding institutions accountable to their gender parity obligations, and translating policy into action.
GNA
Edited by Agnes Boye-Doe
Reporter: Agnes Ansah
Email: [email protected]