Calls for gender equity in leadership appointments, particularly within politics, have been emphasized by women advocates. They criticize the glaring underrepresentation of women in Parliament, the Executive, and Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) as severely insufficient. To address this, they reiterate the urgent need for passing the Affirmative Action Bill into law to ensure fairness in appointments across the nation.
These concerns were voiced by notable figures including Prof. Nana Aba Appiah Amfo, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana; Mercy Larbi, a Deputy Commissioner at the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ); Prof. Marian D. Quain, Deputy Director-General and Chief Research Scientist at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR); and Marian Ayiwa Dzokotoe, a retired educationist, in separate interviews held in Accra. These discussions formed part of the activities commemorating International Women’s Day (IWD), observed globally today.
Highlighting the demographic weight of the female population in the country, they stress the necessity of placing women in positions of leadership commensurate with their numbers. “When you go to Parliament, how many women are there, 40 out of 275 MPs?” queried one advocate. “In decision-making, men, who are a minority in the population, outnumber women,” she added, noting a similar pattern in the executive and other sectors.
Prof. Amfo emphasized the persistent need for increased female representation in leadership roles. “Leadership across the board still needs a significant presence of women in the boardroom,” she asserted. “While the UN standard calls for 30% representation in leadership, we are yet to achieve this. We require a critical mass of women in leadership positions to make a substantial impact on society,” she emphasized. She also underscored the potential ripple effects of investing in women on the country’s prosperity, highlighting the university’s efforts in mainstreaming gender across all administrative sectors.
Mrs. Dzokotoe echoed these sentiments, highlighting the potential impact of the Affirmative Action Bill in rectifying the low representation of women in political leadership. Stressing the trustworthiness and commitment of women in their work, she emphasized the importance of investing in women’s empowerment.
Prof. Quain called for increased financial support for women, particularly in science and research, to enable them to effect transformative change for accelerated development. She also pointed out challenges faced by women in agriculture, such as limited access to land and cultural taboos, advocating for tailored investments and flexible workplace policies to facilitate better outcomes for women.
Mrs. Larbi outlined CHRAJ’s efforts in advocating against early and forced marriages and implementing policies like the Domestic Violence Act to promote gender mainstreaming. All four women acknowledged the progress made in gender mainstreaming over the years, citing achievements such as the appointment of three female Chief Justices, a female Speaker of Parliament, the establishment of the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection, and the development of a national gender policy.
