Gender activists evaluate impact of Ghana’s intestate succession law

A national gender dialogue to assess the impact of the country’s intestate succession law (PNDCL111) after 30 years of promulgation towards protecting the survival of spouses and children’s rights was held on Tuesday.

The dialogue, which is the third in series, coincided with this year’s International Women’s Day to celebrate women’s achievements from political to socio-economic, while calling for gender equality in all spheres of life.

Welcoming hundreds of gender activists including market women, queen mothers, traditional leaders and professional bodies, Nana Oye Lithur, the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, noted that the PNDC Law 111 opened the floodgates for women’s empowerment in Ghana.

She described the law introduced in 1985 as revolutionary, unique, historical and radical that changed deep-seated cultural, customary and traditional practices affecting survival of spouses and children.

“PNDC Law 111 was radical, it was unique, it was historical, the first ever in Africa and I daresay the world, it went against the grain,” she said.

“It turned Ghanaian customs and traditions on inheritance around, especially the Akan customary law, and matrilineal inheritance systems,” Nana Lithur added.