CSOs call for swift implementation of Affirmative Action Act
A Coalition of Civil Society Organisations, including the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD) Ghana, Abantu for Development and the Affirmative Action Law Coalition (AALC), has called for prompt action by the government in implementing the Affirmative Action Act.
Speaking at a national dialogue held in Accra last Tuesday, the Resource Mobilisation and Sustainability Manager at Abantu, Hamida Harrison, said the implementation of the Affirmative Action (Gender Equity) Act, 2024 (Act 1121), was crucial for promoting gender inclusivity, although it would not address all the challenges.
She expressed disappointment that almost a year after the law's passage, there has been little movement towards its implementation. She urged the government to take concrete steps to operationalise the law.
For her part, the Convener of the AALC, Sheila Minkah-Premo, said the implementation of the AA Act had remained a challenge due to structural inequalities, as discrimination based on gender remained pervasive.
She explained that women currently constituted only 14.9 per cent of the national Parliament, 4.1 per cent of the district assembly leadership and 27 per cent in the private sector, despite the country’s ratification of a plethora of international treaties, charters and legal instruments.
Background
The dialogue was jointly organised by the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD) Ghana and Abantu for Development, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), and funded by the Global Centre for Pluralism (GCP) and the European Union (EU).
It brought together gender advocates, active proponents of the Act and experts who shared insightful perspectives on the implementation of the AA Act, which was passed by Parliament in July last year.
The AA Act sought to ensure that a critical number of women hold key positions in public and private spaces in the country by promoting the progressive and active participation of women in public life from a minimum of 30 to 50 per cent by 2034.
Gender ministry’s role
The Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, in a speech delivered on her behalf, said the ministry had started putting the necessary measures to constitute the Gender Equity Committee to guide and oversee the implementation of key provisions of the law.
To this effect, she said, “Letters were sent to the various institutions asking for their representatives. I am happy to report that the list of nominees has been compiled and forwarded to the Office of the President for review and approval”.
Dr Lartey added that a strategic plan for establishing the secretariat to the committee had been submitted to the Ministry of Finance for funding.
“This secretariat will support the Gender Equity Committee's work and coordinate awareness and implementation of activities. The ministry is also discussing with development partners, including the World Bank, to secure further support to operationalise the secretariat,” the minister stated.
The minister also said work had started on drafting the Legislative Instrument (L.I.) with an initial meeting between her ministry and the Office of the Attorney-General and the Ministry of Justice having already taken place.
She added that as part of the ministry’s initial awareness strategy, it had distributed copies of the AA Act to key stakeholders, including the security services, Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) and development partners.
