A Ghanaian civil society organisation has called on the government to move urgently on the implementation of the country’s landmark gender equity law, warning that continued inaction threatens to render one of Africa’s most progressive pieces of legislation a hollow promise.
The Centre for Peace and Progress Advocacy Ghana (CePPAG) issued the demand at a stakeholders’ forum in Abesim, Bono Region, held to mark International Women’s Day. The forum brought together institutional heads, security personnel, health professionals, students, and civil society actors under the theme “Give to Gain.”
CePPAG’s Executive Director, Michael Gyasi Mensah, said the Affirmative Action (Gender Equity) Act, 2024, commonly known as Act 1121, must be enforced without further delay. “National development cannot be truly inclusive when opportunities are disproportionately skewed in favour of men,” he said. “The implementation of this Act is not optional. It is essential to ensuring fairness and unlocking the full potential of women as equal partners in progress.”
Passed in July 2024 and signed into law in September of the same year, Act 1121 mandates at least 30 percent female representation in decision-making roles by 2026, with the goal of reaching full gender parity by 2034. Women currently hold only about 14.9 percent of seats in Ghana’s Parliament and occupy just 26 percent of leadership positions in the public service, figures that fall well short of the statutory targets.
Mensah also urged the government to fast-track the establishment of a Women’s Development Bank, a flagship policy initiative designed to expand women’s access to capital, arguing that the financing gap remained one of the most stubborn structural barriers holding women back from economic participation.
Delivering the keynote address, Sylvia Boachie, a Principal Health Tutor at the Tano College of Nursing and Midwifery, described the push for gender equity as a strategic necessity rather than a favour extended to women. She called for a coordinated national response spanning government, traditional leaders, religious institutions, the private sector, and civil society, and urged stronger enforcement of policies protecting women and girls.
Representatives from the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) and the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) participated in the forum, with an NCCE-led panel exploring practical pathways for empowering women and young girls.
CePPAG honoured six women from the Bono Region during the event in recognition of their contributions across public service, business, broadcasting, sport, and social work.
