On 30th July 2024, the Affirmative Action (Gender Equality) bill was passed unanimously by the parliament of Ghana, as an effort to improve gender parity in the country.
After assent from the president, it became an enforceable law known as the Affirmative Action (Gender Equality) Act, 2024 (ACT 1121).
Currently, private sector employers in Ghana may face conviction and a sentence to serve a jail term if they fail to ensure that about 30% of their working force are women. Going contrary to this provision, a private sector employer may also face a fine between six thousand and twelve thousand Ghana cedis.
According to the act, private sector employers have to ensure gender equality in their workforce or staff employment by increasing the percentage of women representation in their organization, from 2024 to 2034 – approximately ten years. This means that in ten years, the percentage of women employees in private sector organizations should have increased significantly. The act makes it clear that the increment of women employees by private sector employers should be a deliberate act.
An affirmative action refers to a set of policies which are implemented by governments or organizations, to address the plights of marginalized groups.
The affirmative action bill which was assented to by the president of Ghana, His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo-Addo, seeks to improve gender equality in the political, economic, social and cultural sectors in the country.
The Affirmative Action (Gender Equality) Act, 2024 (ACT 1121) seeks to encourage fair representation of women and men especially in public positions, governance and offices with decision making powers in the country. It specifically states that all sectors, both public and private, need to reserve a particular percentage of their employment spaces for women. It also encourages public institutions to adopt gender policies which will help achieve a balanced structure for such organizations, especially regarding gender.
By passing the Affirmative Action bill into law, the representation of women in the various sectors in the industry is backed by law.
It also addresses problems associated with women contesting for positions of power, and serves as a protection for women who seek higher heights especially in the public and private sectors.
The bill, first of its kind in Ghana, is a bold step towards the representation of women in various sectors of industry in the country.
There have been consistent calls on the government to provide solutions to the country’s issue of gender disparity across various institutions. Women have been underrepresented not just in Ghana, but across the African continent. This has been the phenomenon from centuries.
With this new laudable initiative, coupled with the election of its first ever female Vice President, Ghana would be looking forward to adding a different perspective to its developmental agenda in the long run.
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