1 week ago
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President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has assented to the Affirmation Action (Gender Equity) Bill 2024 to pave the way for increased participation of women in governance and decision-making in the country.
The bill, now law, was in and out of the Parliament since 2011, until it was passed in July this year, attracting applause from various advocates, and calls on the President to append his signature.
The Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Darkoa Newman, announced the news of presidential assent to the bill on her X (formerly known as twitter) page yesterday morning.
“Update: President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo @NAkufoAddo has assented to the Affirmative Action (Gender Equity) Act, 2024. Next step Implementation”, she tweeted.
The law is expected to ensure that critical number of women hold key positions in governance, public life, and decision-making spaces, thereby improving the lives of women in the country.
It also seeks to encourage efforts towards addressing socio-cultural, political, economic, and educational gender imbalances in private and public sectors, per Clause 4 of Article 17 of the 1992 Constitution.
Consisting of 34 clauses and six schedules, it would ensure a 50/50 per cent representation and participation of both women and men in governance, public positions of power, and all decision-making processes of the state.
Its objective is to promote the progressive increase and active participation of women in public and active life from a minimum of 30 per cent by 2030, under the requirements of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The law will also help address issues on the marginalising of women in public and economic life in Ghana and also see to an increase in the number of women in leadership.
Additionally, the affirmative action law seeks to ensure that Ghana’s obligations under international human rights instruments to which it is a state party are complied with.
BY TIMES REPORTER
