Women urged to champion public education on Affirmative Action Law

Women Group organisations should champion public ed­ucation on the new Affirmative Action law passed by Parliament recently, the Convener for the Affirmative Action Bill Coali­tion, Mrs Sheila Menkah-Premo, has stated.

This, she said, would help them to be abreast with the law and ensure effective implemen­tation across all levels.

The Affirmative Action law seeks to address systemic in­equalities in the country.

She indicated this at the commemoration of the 20th anniversary celebration of the Women’s Manifesto Coalition (WMC) for Ghana in Accra yesterday.

It was on the theme ‘Cele­brating the gains through the third review processes’ and brought together representa­tives from the women group organisations, Assembly women and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs).

She commended women group organisations, media and CSOs for championing the cause for passage of the bill into law.

The Convener further urged women groups to ensure the implementation of the law in order to guarantee equality of women at all levels.

She stressed the need to hold leaders accountable to ensure implementation and make avail­able resources.

The Convener of the WMC, Mrs Hamida Harrison, said Ghana continued to grapple with gender inequality practices in women’s lack of access to secured livelihoods in the era of market economies, and huge gaps in women’s access public leadership.

Furthermore, she called for robust political will from au­thorities to ensure change and transformation in addressing women issues in the country.

The Chairperson of the Con­flict Resolution Committee of the National Peace Council, Mrs Joana Opare, stated that the Women Manifesto had become a worthy document for refer­ence over the years.

She urged women to push their fellow women to leader­ship position in order to con­tribute in decision-making.

The Programme Manager, Gender Studies and Human Rights Documentation Centre, Ms Deborah Tayo Akakpo, stated that there were still chal­lenges facing women, including access to lands, harmful cultural practices and challenges of implementation of policies to promote women right issues.

She called for effective collab­oration between women group organisations to ensure that the rights of women and children were protected in the country.

 BY ANITA NYARKO-YIREN­KYI