President Nana Akufo-Addo
President Nana Akufo-Addo has officially assented to the Affirmative Action Bill 2024, making it law.
Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dakoa Newman, who announced this, said the focus has now shifted to effective implementation of the law.
The bill, passed by Parliament in July, seeks to promote gender equity in both the public and private sectors.
Its primary objective is to effectively redress social, cultural, economic, and gender imbalances in the country, despite de jure (by law) equality of men and women.
The law outlines a three-phase gender representation quota, with initial phase (2024-2026) expecting to ensure a minimum of 30% representation, transition phase (2027-2028) targeting at least 35% representation, and the long-term goal (2029-2030) aiming at a minimum of 50% representation.
Ms. Newman recently addressed concerns about the Affirmative Action Act at a press briefing in Accra on August 8, 2024, during which she clarified that the bill does not promote tokenism.
According to her, the law recognises the capabilities of Ghanaian women to hold influential positions, emphasising that women in Ghana are fully qualified and deserving of leadership roles.
She argued that the law was progressive and prioritises equity and not equality, stressing, “If you check the first schedule, it talks about 30% from 2024 to 2026, then a minimum of 35% from 2027 to 2028 and 50% from 2029 to 2030.”
By Ernest Kofi Adu