By Deborah Asantewaah SARFO
The Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Naa Momo Lartey, has stressed the role of information dissemination and establishment of the gender equality committee in making the Affirmative Action Act effective and relevant for women.
Speaking on the sidelines at the African Women Political Leadership Summit at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC), she noted that disseminating the information in the Act to key stakeholders and various women groups, coupled with establishing the equity committee, would yield the expected outcome of the Act and make it “more realistic to the lives of women”.
She explained that while disseminating the information in the Act creates awareness, the committee will also ensure compliance with the Act’s provisions.
“It behoves us to take the affirmative action act and make it more realistic to the people who need it, especially disseminating the information in the Act and making it more realistic to women is very important”, she said.
The Act aims at promoting gender equality and women empowerment by addressing the systematic barriers that have hindered women in the Ghanaian society.
Held under the theme ‘Women and Politics in Africa: Progress, Challenges and Prospects’ in collaboration with the ministry, the event brought together about 250 esteemed female leaders from across the continent, including political party leaders, parliamentarians, government ministers, media personalities, diplomats and other activists of civil society organisations (CSOs).
She described the summit as a gathering to ensure that the next generation of African women leaders have the “support, structures and opportunities they need without resistance”.
Ms. Lartey noted that passing the law is only the first step and it is important for women to ensure that it becomes a reality in the lives of Ghanaian women because equitable gender representation is a way for progressive national development.
Additionally, she reiterated the ministry’s commitment to ensuring that the necessary institutional and physical support is available for the effectiveness of the Act.
Focusing on increasing women’s representation in politics, she emphasised the ministry’s commitment to ensuring that financial barriers which hinder women from contesting for political portfolios are broken.
Suggesting solutions to help women overcome the challenges they face in grassroots politics, the Deputy Director-General of National Service Authority, Ruth Seddoh, proposed that the government and political parties must establish a fund solely dedicated to empowering women in political leadership.
For her part, the Acting Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (NEIP), Joan Selassie, charged women to prioritise education and capacity building in their quest to participate in politics, emphasising that this will set them apart and get them prepared for the job.
“No matter the level of your politicking, being it grassroots or at the national level, never ever let go of your capacity building and education,” she said.
