By Daniel Donkor
The Centre for Peace and Progress Advocacy Ghana (CePPAG) has issued a renewed and urgent call for the full implementation of the Affirmative Action (Equity) Act, 2024 (Act 1121), warning that any delay risks entrenching long-standing gender disparities in leadership and slowing Ghana’s inclusive development agenda.
The law, passed in 2024, mandates that women occupy between 30 and 50 percent of decision-making roles across both public and private sectors an ambitious benchmark aimed at correcting decades of systemic imbalance.
Speaking at a stakeholders’ forum in Abesim to commemorate International Women’s Day, CePPAG’s Executive Director, Michael Gyasi Mensah, stressed that the law must move beyond paper commitments to tangible outcomes.
“National development cannot be truly inclusive when opportunities are disproportionately skewed in favour of men,” Mensah 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.”
The forum, held under the theme “Give to Gain,” drew a wide spectrum of participants, including institutional heads, security personnel, health professionals, students, and civil society actors.
Representatives from the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU), alongside stakeholders from the media, education, and sports sectors, underscored the growing national consensus on the need to accelerate gender equity reforms.
Mensah further urged government to fast-track the establishment of a Women’s Development Bank also known as the Women’s Bank a flagship policy initiative designed to expand women’s access to capital and economic opportunities.
“We must create systems that enable women to rise,” he emphasised. “Access to finance remains one of the biggest barriers, and addressing it will be transformative.”
Delivering the keynote address, Principal Health Tutor at the Tano College of Nursing and Midwifery, Sylvia Boachie, painted a sobering picture of the structural challenges confronting women and girls, despite their critical role in households and local economies.
She highlighted enduring inequalities such as limited access to education, unpaid labour burdens, early marriage, and gender-based violence.
“Empowering women is not a favour it is a strategic necessity,” she said. “When women thrive, communities prosper, and nations advance.”
Boachie called for a coordinated national response, urging government to create jobs and strictly enforce policies that protect and promote the rights of women and girls. She also appealed to traditional leaders to help reshape cultural norms, while encouraging families, religious institutions, the private sector, and civil society to actively support the gender equality agenda.
A panel discussion led by Cynthia Animah Boadu of the National Commission for Civic Education explored practical pathways for empowering women and young girls, highlighting both persistent challenges and emerging opportunities.
As part of the celebration, CePPAG honoured distinguished women across the Bono Region for their exceptional contributions to national development, including Beatrice Korsah, DSP and Bono Regional DOVVSU Coordinator; Elizabeth Frimpong, a retired social worker; Christiana Kumi, also known as Abrewa Nana Akosua Agyamaa and Acting Bono Regional Director of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation; Comfort Asante Krobea, Chief Executive Officer of Victory Feeds and Farms; Patricia Peprah Agyemang, Chief Executive Officer of Capital Group of Companies; and Doreen Angelina Awuah, a former Black Stars player.
Organisers noted that the recognition reflects the indispensable role women continue to play in strengthening communities, advancing professionalism, and amplifying voices across sectors.
The event closed with a resounding message: Ghana must move decisively from rhetoric to action ensuring that women are not merely included in the nation’s development journey, but are empowered to lead it.
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