The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) Ghana has called for deliberate, system-wide reforms to dismantle persistent barriers blocking women from advancing into leadership, warning that gains in hiring have not translated into meaningful career progression for women in the workforce.
The call came during ACCA Ghana’s International Women’s Day 2026 event in Accra, held under the theme “Making Equity a Reality in a Changed World,” where senior finance and accounting professionals gathered to examine the structural forces holding women back despite decades of advocacy.
Delivering the keynote address, Mrs. Ayesha Bedwei Ibe, Tax Expert at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), pointed to stark global figures that frame the problem. Women hold approximately 29 percent of senior leadership roles globally, with representation declining even further at executive levels, while the gender pay gap remains at 16 percent. “These are not just statistics. They represent missed opportunities, untapped potential and systemic gaps that continue to shape careers and lives,” she said.
Drawing on her own experience in professional services, Mrs. Bedwei Ibe argued that the central challenge has shifted. Many high-performing women who meet or exceed expectations continue to see their career trajectories fall short, not from a lack of competence, but because workplace systems are not designed to support their rise. “Do they grow? Do they lead? Do they stay? Because representation without progression is not equity,” she stated.
She urged organisations to move beyond good intentions and adopt concrete measures, including pay transparency to expose hidden disparities, sponsorship programmes that go further than mentorship, and deliberate leadership pipelines that actively prepare women for senior roles. She also called for flexible work structures that accommodate caregiving responsibilities without penalising professional ambition, noting that many of the real barriers women face are embedded in organisational culture rather than written policy, including unconscious bias in performance reviews and restricted access to the high-visibility projects that drive career advancement.
Mrs. Gloria Boye Doku, Vice Chairperson of ACCA Ghana, reinforced the message, stressing that empowering women yields returns far beyond individuals. “Equity does not happen by chance; it is a conscious effort that requires commitment, collaboration and action,” she said, urging participants to drive meaningful change within their spheres of influence.
A panel discussion titled “Empowered to Give, Positioned to Gain: Women Leading the Way in Accounting” explored themes of continuous professional development and institutional accountability. Panelists encouraged women to pursue new certifications, adopt emerging tools including artificial intelligence, and build strong communication skills to remain competitive in a profession where precision is non-negotiable.
Mentorship was identified as a critical bridge between academic training and real-world practice, with senior professionals urged to take an active role in guiding younger entrants. The panel also called on organisations to ensure fairness in promotion decisions and increase the representation of women in executive roles to shift existing norms. The session was moderated by Marian Boatemaa Appiah, Senior Associate at Deloitte, and featured Ellen Boatemaa Denteh, Deputy Director of Finance at the University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC); Mercedes Maud Naa Dei Ashie, Internal Audit Manager at the Minerals Income Investment Fund (MIIF); and Maame Araba Essanoah, Audit Manager at Stanbic Bank.
The event also featured a health session by Dr. Wisdom Effiong of The Bank Hospital, who introduced a biopsychosocial-spiritual approach to wellbeing, and a speed mentorship session offering participants direct engagement with experienced professionals.
“Gender equity will not happen by chance. It will happen because we choose to act deliberately, consistently and courageously,” Mrs. Bedwei Ibe told the gathering, in a message that closed the event with a direct challenge to organisational leaders.
