She said it was unfortunate that despite sustained efforts at leveling off the gender scale, a nation of over 50 per cent women population only had about 10 per cent female representation in key positions including politics.

Ms Afrifa was speaking at a consultation forum organized by the NGO in Ho, to boost the efforts of stakeholders, and beneficiaries, in advocating for the passage of the pending Affirmative Action Law.

She said ABANTU's survey on women representation in key positions across, showed that leadership was soon to become a strictly males-only position.

Members of the forum agreed that women lacked the guts to dabble in the hostile and aggressive male dominated political arena, for example, and have always faced attempts to ebb them out of leadership roles.

Ms Afrifa said efforts at promoting gender equality produced some results over the years, and would now require that government used its autonomous position to support, and with, tangible models.

She said while the Bill sought at least 30 per cent female representation, the survey found that the 30 per cent was only at the lower level, and that the size diminished as it made its way up the hierarchy.

Ms Afrifa added that females on almost all institutional boards were there because a constitution mandated.

"If we don't take a bold step we will arrive at an era where women would have no voice. We need a law that would bridge the gap between men and women. The scale is very unbalanced and we need to put measures in place to correct them.

"The national executive committee members of the political parties are all men. There are very few women holding key political positions," she lamented.

Ms Afrifa said African countries, including Rwanda, and Ethiopia had leveraged on the Affirmative Action Law to balance gender representation in their parliaments, and that it was time Government considered same.

"Government must show the way by appointing more women onto cabinet. We must not allow political will to push women and other groups out of the line", she said, and called on the citizenry to also take upon themselves, the fight for gender parity.

ABANTU, with the support of the African Women Development Fund, has been working with stakeholders, partners and institutions to develop and implement an active campaign for the passage of the Bill into law, under its "Strengthening Advocacy for the Passage of an Affirmative Action Law in Ghana" project.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo, had directed the Gender Ministry to ensure that the Bill, which marginalized groups, including persons living with disabilities, considered a door to equality, was passed before the end of first quarter 2020.

Madam Grace Wornyo, Azaonoo, Programmes Coordinator of the NGO, said the Bill, which made its first appearance in the year 2010, was progressing "too slow" along the approval processes, and was hopeful that per the President's commitment, it would be passed sooner.

The NGO runs a training initiative for women in politics, which draws women from political parties and trains them to excel.