Ghana’s parliament passes gender equity bill into law

What we know

• Ghana’s parliament has successfully passed the Affirmative Action, Gender Equity Bill 2024, aimed at addressing long-standing social, cultural, economic, and political gender imbalances in the country. 
• The legislation seeks to rectify historical discrimination against women and counteract persistent patriarchal socio-cultural systems and norms.
• The unanimous approval of the bill by Members of Parliament (MPs) marks the culmination of efforts that began in 1998 to foster an equitable society. The bill mandates initiatives to address gender imbalances across private and public sectors, covering socio-cultural, political, economic, and educational domains.
• Since the original 1960 Affirmative Action law was annulled due to military interference in governance, there have been renewed efforts to establish a comprehensive affirmative action framework. The policy guidelines from 1998 called for at least 40% representation of women in public appointments.
• Recent advocacy to pass the bill into law were driven by the need to tackle social, economic, and educational disparities, in line with Article 17(4) of the 1992 Constitution.   

What they said

Speaking on the passage in Parliament, the Speaker of the House Alban Bagbin said, “Honourable members, the ‘ayes’ have it. The Affirmative Action Gender Equality Bill 2024 now the Affirmative Action Gender Equity Act duly read the third time and passed.” He added that "We need to do more to be able to create this free and just society we are looking for to liberate more of our women." Shamima Muslim, a gender and political activist, said the passage marked the first steps towards "correcting historical and systemic barriers to participation for women and other marginalised groups. It is a welcome decision that demands further consistent action to achieve the noble ideal of building a just and equitable country," Reuters quotes