“We have achieved historic milestones, including the election of Ghana’s first female vice president and the appointment of women to leadership roles in government, the judiciary, the security services, and major public institutions,”
“These are not symbolic gestures. They affirm that women deserve a seat at the highest levels of decision-making. I am confident that in the very near future, our women will break the glass ceiling, and there will be a woman president of the Republic of Ghana,” President John Dramani Mahama has said.
He was speaking at the Global Leaders’ Meeting on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment in Beijing, China, on Monday [October 13, 2025].
President Mahama said Ghana’s progress in women’s representation was not symbolic but the result of deliberate policy choices.
He said Ghana had reached gender parity in school enrolment and was working to strengthen institutions that protect women and girls from violence and discrimination.
He mentioned reforms at the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection and the expanded work of the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit of the Ghana Police Service.
He said his government had rolled out social interventions to support women, including assistance for female-headed households, local food sourcing under the School Feeding Programme, and a policy reserving 50 per cent of microfinance funds for women entrepreneurs.
Mr Mahama added that the new Affirmative Action Act set clear targets for women’s participation in governance: 30 percent of public appointments by 2026, 35 per cent by 2028, and 50 per cent by 2030.
While acknowledging progress made at home, he cautioned that growing global instability and unilateral actions by powerful nations could reverse gains made by women in developing countries.
He urged African leaders to give priority to the welfare and advancement of women as a safeguard against those global risks.
“Gender equality is not only a matter of justice,” he said. “It is a driver of sustainable development. When women thrive, families prosper, communities are stronger, and nations progress.”
President Mahama’s remarks were part of events marking the 30th anniversary of the 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, a landmark United Nations initiative on gender equality.
