International Women’s Day: ‘Team Legal’ championing women’s rights

‘Team Legal’, is a grassroots women empowerment movement that has risen out of the ashes of one woman’s challenges.

Like-minded women and men came together seeking justice for Akosua Serwaa, who was married to Daddy Lumba, after his death and the controversies surrounding spousal and property rights.

But this here is not about marriage or love triangles. It is about the sheer audacity of a group of women, incensed by what they deem injustice against women, who form a grassroots women’s empowerment movement to advocate justice through social media and other digital resources.

The movement has marched in London, held a press conference in Accra and raised global awareness through door-to-door campaigns in America.

They have succeeded in creating organic grassroots communities of gender advocates in Ghanaian communities globally.

Team Legal has shown itself to be audacious, powerful and capable.

They have taken on entrenched patriarchal positions and actors with success. 

Advocacy work

The mainstream women’s movement in Ghana has done fantastic work chalking successes.

Often, the most visible advocates have been people who have benefited from power.

Examples of these are the 31st December Women’s Movement, The Rebecca Foundation and Samira Empowerment and Humanitarian Projects, spearheaded by women who were married to sitting Presidents and a Vice- President.

Again, organisations such as NETRIGHT, ABANTU, Ark Foundation, She Boss, Women of Valour, etc., are formal in their setup and operations and have been championed by more elite individuals, sometimes even individuals with celebrity status.

Their advocacy work, though potent, has not been as animated.

Also, it is unclear to what extent the average Ghanaian woman, with or without the advantage of formal education, can engage in and participate in their advocacy efforts.

But this new movement, ‘Team Legal’, is a very animated and vivacious movement of women riding the urgency of gender justice.

The movement is spearheaded by Ghanaian women and men, mainly resident outside Ghana. 

Forerunners

The forerunners include Obaa Tiwaa, Ashantequeen, Samsonwaa Daya, AkosGold, Kofi Ofosu Kwakye, Kwaku Kristo among others.

They are vocal on social media, pooling in large audiences during campaigns.

They engage and include many voices at the grassroots level. They demystify long-held or entrenched positions that put women at a disadvantage socially, economically and even when it comes to political representation.

In the recent Ayawaso East parliamentary primary of the ruling NDC, some members of Team Legal supported the only female candidate, Hajia Amina Adam, against the leading male contender, Baba Jamal, labelling him a misogynist because his law firm represents parties opposing Madam Akosua Serwaa.

Indeed, Hajia Amina Adam lost narrowly to Baba Jamal.

Baba Jamal, before the elections, had to debunk the claims from Team Legal about his perceived bias against women.

Team Legal’s posture, which shifted from taking on only issues surrounding spousal rights and marital property to advocating for women's political representation, is commendable. 

Again, a Russian tourist has been in the news for showing sex tapes of Ghanaian women he had sexual relations with while touring Ghana.

The Ministry of Gender issued a statement condemning this.

Samsonwaa Daya took on the Minister for not doing enough to empower women against local sexual predators who often only provide access and opportunity to women in exchange for sexual favours.

These entrenched patriarchal sexualisation of access to economic participation or power are not only dehumanising but denigrates the capabilities of women. 

Status of women

The status of women in Ghana can be contextualised as being in a state of progressive improvement.

There have been significant gains in areas such as education, where gender parity has been achieved in primary and secondary education, and strong growth has been registered in female tertiary education.

According to the World Bank, the adolescent birth rate in 2021 was 58 per 1,000 women aged between 15 and 19, down from about 78 per 1,000 women within the same age range in 2018. 

This is due to the transformational free Senior High School policy, which has enabled more adolescent girls to stay in school.

There have also been significant improvements over the years in maternal mortality and access to health care, thanks to the President J.A. Kufour era's Free Maternal Health and National Health Insurance Scheme.

The inception and proliferation of Community-Based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compounds also improved healthcare for women.

Unfortunately, maternal mortality rates increased slightly in 2024 and skilled delivery coverage also declined by about five per cent, according to the Ghana Health Service.

This retrogression must be quashed. Contraception gives women power over their reproductive health but remains low at 15 per cent coverage. 

Political representation

Sadly, the political representation of women in Ghana is very disheartening, even though we finally have a female Vice-President.

Despite many commitments, women’s political representation remains very low, with only about 14.6 per cent female representation in Parliament.

These setbacks are indicative of a typical culture that makes it difficult for women to chalk progress and success in male-dominated areas, where clear policy guidelines or structures are not in place to ensure that women succeed intentionally.

The Gender Equity Act 2024 is a good example.

Passed by the President Akufo-Addo administration, it has compelled the current Mahama administration to appoint 30 per cent women to its cabinet. 

Gender parity

Gender parity in economic participation also remains low.

More women are employed in the informal sector, but face systemic barriers such as access to capital, land acquisition, among others, limiting their ability to grow and thrive.

More women than men provide domestic unpaid caregiving.  Gender-based violence and intimate partner violence are also on the ascendency.

Gender Based Violence is a direct consequence of the ubiquitous, unjust power structure that gives men more power than women.

Gender Based Violence can be physical, sexual, economic or emotional.

There are many statutes, policies and programmes in place to combat it, yet according to the Ghana Statistical Service report of 2022, between 24 per cent and 40 per cent of women have experienced this type of violence.

Combating Gender Based Violence head-on calls for a radical shift in the way laws are enforced and changing perceptions and the stigma attached to survivors and whistleblowers. 

Conclusion

If we mean to progress and develop at an accelerated pace, a lot more must be done to bolster women.

We are a potent 50 per cent of the population.

The current status quo must give way to more assertive and revolutionary voices and actions.

"Freedom is not given; it is won”.

Team Legal is a rather refreshing turn of events for the women’s movement.

In this women’s month, they deserve acknowledgement and celebration.

‘Team Legal’, MOVE, FLY, PRAY. 

The writer is a lawyer and development professional