The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford  Bagbin, has urged female Members of Parliament (MPs) to collaborate and work to create an inclusive and equitable society where women play a vital role in shaping the country's future and democracy. 

“Let us work together to strengthen our leadership and governance capacity, drive inclusive policymaking and promote transparency and accountability in governance,” the Speaker stressed.

Mr Bagbin said that in an address read on his behalf by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament (MP) for Salaga South, Zuwera Mohammed Ibrahim, to open a two-day capacity-building workshop for the Female Members of the Ninth Parliament at Ada in the Greater Accra Region last Saturday. 

Event

The two-day workshop was aimed at empowering female lawmakers to understand the technical aspects of the Affirmative Action Act.

It was organised by the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) in collaboration with the Parliament of Ghana with funding support from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) of the UK Government and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

The participants were taken through topics, including an overview of the Affirmative Action (Gender Equity) ACT, 2024, (Act 1121), political parties and representation of women (Section 20 of the Act), Gender Equality Committee, reviewing examples of successful affirmative action policies in governance, overcoming barriers to women’s participation in decision-making. 

Strategic alliances

The Speaker urged the female MPs to take the workshop seriously as it was meant to empower them with knowledge, skills and strategic alliances to drive inclusive policymaking and promote transparency and accountability in governance to enhance their effectiveness in Parliament.

“The passage of the Affirmative Action (Gender Equity) Act, 2024 (Act 1121) marks a significant milestone in Ghana’s journey towards gender equality. This Act provides a critical framework for increasing women’s representation and participation in decision-making processes,” Mr Bagbin explained.

He acknowledged the collaboration between the NCCE, Parliament, FCDO and the UNDP in promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment and urged all the participants, particularly the female MPs, to actively engage, share their experiences and learn from one another.

The Chairperson for NCCE, Kathleen Addy, for her part, pledged the support of the NCCE to the empowerment of women in all spheres of life, including female legislators, to enable them to play their roles effectively in the governance system of the country to help consolidate democracy.

She said the NCCE would intensify its public education on issues concerning women to increase their participation in the decision-making processes of the country. 

Constitutional amendment  

The Leader of the team of facilitators, Sheila Minkah-Premo, a lawyer and a Convenor of the Affirmative Action Bill Coalition, in her closing remarks, noted with concern that Ghana as a country needed constitutional amendment on who qualifies to go to Parliament as set out in Article 93 and 94 of the 1992 Constitution to make gender inclusivity one of the criteria, adding ‘“Article 17 (4) should also include “policies”.

The UNDP Representative, Dr Edward Ampratwum, said women’s equal participation and leadership in political and public life were essential to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.