By Sandra Agyeiwaa OTOO
The convener of the Affirmative Action Law Coalition, (AA Law Coalition) Sheila Minkah-Premo, has proposed a legislative amendment to increase women’s representation in Parliament.
She is pushing for a constitutional amendment to create special seats for women in Parliament in order to increase female representation from the current 14.5 percent to the United Nations (UN) recommended 30 percent minimum.
“For me, one idea I have been considering is to amend the law and create space for special seats where women can compete exclusively against one another. This would allow us to have an additional number of women in Parliament through these special seats,” she said.
She mentioned that the passage of the Affirmative Action Gender Equity Act in September has not significantly impacted the number of women elected to Parliament, as the major parties had already completed their primaries.
She made this statement at the just-ended training for journalists and influencers on Ghana’s new Affirmative Action (Gender Equity) Act, 2024 (Act 1121) since they play a major role in shaping public perceptions, driving dialogue and informing the public about new laws.
The Affirmative Action Act remains a critical legal framework mechanism aimed at promoting inclusivity, equity and representation in various sectors of society. Its passage also aims to address gender inequalities in Ghana and ensure that women, who are marginalised in decision-making, are equally represented in decision-making at all levels.
Mrs. Minkah-Premo also proposed that additional seats be created, potentially increasing the total number of parliamentarians to 300, with some seats reserved for women.
“I think we should have an additional number of women and parliamentarians, which would bring the total number we have to 300 in Parliament; and that could really help,” she said.
She added that to achieve 30 percent gender representation by 2026, the support of the media is needed to hold incoming executives accountable and highlight the importance of reaching this milestone.
“This training is to sensitise the media on the new law, Affirmative Action Law (Gender Equity Act of 2024) Act 1121, so that they can help us – they can be the voice. We, the Affirmative Action Law Coalition, are poised to help with the popularisation. We need to hold the incoming executives responsible for ensuring compliance to let us get to the 30 percent by the year 2026. So we will need the support of the media to be able to highlight the issue when we start making noise about the need to reach that 30 percent,”she noted.
In a presentation on the role of media and influencers in the implementation of the Affirmative Action (Gender Equity) Act, 2024 (Act 1121), the Managing Director of Kanko Associates, Mary Tobbin, stressed the need for a collective effort, adding that the media is responsible for advocating for its implementation.
“Promoting the implementation of the AAA requires a collective effort .The media is crucial in shaping public discourse, promoting inclusivity and advocating for the implementation of the act. Though the bill has been passed into a law, without our collective efforts, the implementation of this act will not see the light of day,”she emphasised.
Mrs. Tobbin said by embracing ones responsibility and collaborating with other stakeholders, media outlets can contribute to a brighter future toward gender equality in Ghana.
