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Every year on March 8, women around the world come together to celebrate International Women’s Day (IWD)—a global observance honouring the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women.
Far beyond a day of female showmanship, IWD serves as a call to action for accelerating gender parity worldwide. It challenges norms and stereotypes that have historically relegated women to the background in societal and national discourse.
This year’s IWD, under the theme: ‘For All Women and Girls: Rights, Equality, Empowerment,’ underscores the interconnectedness of these three principles in advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment globally.
The theme calls for swift and decisive measures to address systemic barriers and biases affecting women in various spheres by focusing on strategies that foster an environment of equal opportunities for all.
The Gender Gap:
Where Does Ghana Stand?
The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 5 (SDG 5) seeks to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls by 2030—not only as a fundamental human right but as a cornerstone for a prosperous and sustainable world.
However, with barely five years left to meet this target, the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2024 reveals that despite global progress, significant disparities persist.
The report, which assesses countries based on gender equality in economic participation, education, health, and political empowerment, indicates that it will take another 134 years to achieve global gender parity.
For Ghana, the gender gap has narrowed over the past two decades. The country’s Global Gender Gap Index score increased from 0.654 in 2006 to 0.7010 in 2024, signifying that about 70 per cent of the gender gap has been closed.
Ghana ranked 88th out of 146 countries in 2024, moving up 12 places from its 100th position in 2023. The improvement was largely driven by increased access to education for girls and improved healthcare outcomes.
While this progress is commendable, much work remains to fully achieve gender equality, and efforts must be accelerated to address persisting challenges.
Challenges Hindering
Gender Equality in Ghana
Over the years, Ghana has ratified several international conventions, including the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.
Domestically, policies and laws such as the “HeforShe” Campaign, the Domestic Violence Act (2007), the Human Trafficking Act (2005), the National Gender Policy (2015), and the Affirmative Action (Gender Equality) Bill, among others, have been introduced to promote women’s rights and increase their participation in governance.
Nonetheless, significant challenges remain; – deep-seated cultural norms and social practices, economic and health disparities, political underrepresentation and slow implementation of gender laws linger.
Domestic violence, sexual abuse and harmful practices like early child marriage remains prevalent in the country despite legal frameworks to counter them. Many girls continue to miss school due to period poverty, as the country continue to experience high maternal mortality rate (MMR) due to inadequate healthcare services.
Economically, most women, especially in the informal sector often earn less than men for similar work-done, limiting financial independence while access to credit and financial support for women-owned businesses is a challenge.
Entrenched social biases and stereotypes continue to suppress women voices and participation in social and political discourse in Ghana, perpetuating a culture of silence.
These impediments among a host of others obviously does not encourage the progress of women neither promote Ghana’s quest to achieve gender equality.
Key Actions to Accelerate Gender Equality in Ghana
As the world accelerates action for gender equality, Ghana must prioritise the rigorous enforcement of gender-related laws and policies.
The Affirmative Action Bill for example, must not remain a symbolic victory only for records keeping, but should translate into real representation of women in governance, corporate leadership, and decision-making processes.
Political parties and corporate bodies must commit to institutionalising gender quotas to increase female participation in leadership roles while eliminating structural barriers to women’s involvement in national discourse.
Additionally, support services such as shelters, legal aid centres and rehabilitation services for gender-based violence (GBV) survivors must be strengthened to protect victims of domestic violence and abuse.
The elimination of harmful cultural practices such as child marriage, “trokosi” (ritual servitude), witchcraft and widowhood rites should be aggressively tackled through community engagement, law enforcement, and awareness campaigns, involving traditional and religious leaders who wield significant influence in shaping societal norms.
Finally, closing the gender gap in economic opportunities is critical for national development, poverty reduction and improved societal well-being.
While government-backed initiatives such as the “Women Development Bank”, “Achieving Equity for Youth, Women and Persons with Disability” aimed at supporting female entrepreneurs were commendable, we look forward to its actualisation, as well as reinforcing existing policies that promote women’s access to credit, land ownership, and entrepreneurship.
Expanding financial literacy programmes and pension schemes for women in the informal sector will strengthen their economic security as large private-sector companies are also encouraged to adopt gender-inclusive procurement policies that prioritise women-owned businesses.
The government should prioritise funding for women’s empowerment, education, and healthcare in national and local budgets. Institutions like the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection (MoGCSP) must be adequately resourced to monitor progress and implement gender-related policies effectively.
A Call to Action:
The Time Is Now!
As Ghana commemorates IWD, the country stands at a critical juncture in its pursuit of gender equality.
By reinforcing legislative frameworks, challenging harmful cultural norms, and promoting economic empowerment, Ghana can accelerate its progress toward a more equitable society.
Gender equality is not just a women’s issue—it is a national development imperative.
When women thrive, Ghana thrives.
Let’s accelerate action now!
BY ABIGAIL ANNOH
