On African Women’s Day: Ghana Reaffirms Commitment To Advancement Of Women

The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection congratulates all African women on the occasion of African Women’s Day which fell on July 31. The Day, adopted by the AU in 1962, celebrates African women’s accomplishments at all levels of development. It also serves as a reminder of the structures of inequality that African women continue to face daily.

Since 1962, a lot of progress hasbeen made towards achieving gender equality, empowering women and elevating them politically, economically, socially, and culturally. African governments have signed several commitments for the promotion of women’s rights in the last few years.

These include the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa (Maputo Protocol) the African Women’s Decade (2010 - 2020), the Solemn Declaration on Gender Equality in Africa by heads of state of the African Union, and the AU Gender Policy.These have served as significant steps to achieving women’s rights in Africa.

.On its part, the Government of Ghana has over the period made efforts to promote gender equality, women’s empowerment and safer environments through the fight for the prevention of all forms of violence against women and girls.

It has done this through the strengtheningof the legal and policy framework. The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection is leading this drive. The Ministry has finalised the Affirmative Action Bill and submitted it to the Attorney General’s Department for consideration from where it would be sent to Cabinet and all enactment procedures will duly follow. The Domestic Violence Regulations intended to facilitate the effective implementation of the Domestic Violence Act has been finalized and a consultative meeting has been planned with the Parliamentary Subsidiary Legislation.

The Human Trafficking Regulations has been finalized and laid before Parliament for approval. The National Gender Policy which willserve as a guide to the conceptualization, implementation and monitoring of gender mainstreaming has been developed pending Cabinet approval. These will add on to existing policies and legal framework that seek to promote the interest and well-being of women, thus fostering a strong legal environment on women’s rights issues.

Additionally, efforts continue to be made to addressdiscrimination against women in the economic and political spheres. This is fostering entrepreneurship and leadership, and removing barriers to meaningful engagement and opportunity for Ghanaian women. Ghana has joined the African Union campaign and fight to end child marriage and all forms of harmful traditional practices. The campaign against sexual and gender based violence has been accelerated as activities are going on in all the ten regions of Ghana to ensure attitudinal and behavioural change. The expansion of the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) programme has afforded a wider reach of government to women and children living below the poverty line.

The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection calls on all to assist to eliminate all challenges confronting women such as poverty, discrimination, sexual and domestic violence, as well as limited access to economic resources among others. We commend civil society and the media for the work they are doing in the interest of the Ghanaian woman. We urge you to continue to partner us to set gender equality and women’s empowerment issues as a priority. Together we shall reach our ultimate goal of empowering all women.

Happy African Women’s Day!
Signed
Dinah Adiko (Technical Advisor on Gender)
Ministry of Gender, Children & Social Protection