By addressing key areas such as education, health, employment, governance, and by aligning with international standards, the bill lays the groundwork for a more equitable and inclusive society.The bill aligns with international conventions and regional agreements to which Ghana is a signatory, such as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights. By incorporating these international standards, the Bill ensures that Ghana's gender equality efforts are consistent with global best practices and commitments.
As a signatory to all these conventions and charters, the government is mandated to integrate these obligations into national policies and programmes to promote gender equality at all levels.The bill sets specific targets for gender representation, aiming for 30 per cent by 2026, 35 per cent by 2028 and 50 percent by 2030.
These quotas apply to appointments in public offices, governance positions, decision-making roles and leadership positions across various sectors.While women constitute more than half of the country's population, that is 51.2 per cent, they represent only 13.8 percent of Members of Parliament and constitute less than 30 per cent of ministers, members of the Council of State, heads of public institutions and boards.
At the just-ended 2023 local level elections, only 4.1 per cent of elected assembly members were women.The bill, which is yet to be assented to by the President, when implemented, will ensure gender-responsive budgeting, where all government ministries, departments, agencies and district assemblies will have to include budget lines for addressing gender-specific issues in their plans. Also, the bill will ensure that political parties achieve progressive gender equality targets in participation and representation.They must adopt measures to support gender equality in candidate nominations and party leadership appointments.
Political parties are also required to provide information and financial resources to support gender equality initiatives.The Electoral Commission monitors compliance, ensuring that political parties develop and adhere to gender equality policies and submit annual reports on their progress.The bill cuts across several sectors, which include the Ministry of Education which is to ensure gender balance in access and opportunity to education at all levels.It includes provisions for reviewing curricula to include courses on gender equality, establishing programmes to address barriers to education for girls and providing appropriate interventions in deprived districts.