Information Service Department urges equal participation of women in governance structure

Mrs Lilly Bempong, the Central Regional Director of the Information Service Department (ISD) has disclosed that only 19, representing 15 per cent of 123 government institutions were headed by females as of 2022. 

Again, only two out of the 27 private firms listed on the Ghana Stock Exchange in 2022, were also headed by females, stressing the need for an equal representation of men and women, which was essential for effective democratic governance. 
 
Mrs Bempong said it was worrying that despite the constitutional requirement, women remained underrepresented in the nation’s political and public sectors. 

She was speaking at a sensitisation meeting on the Affirmative Action Act 2024 organised by ActionAid Ghana (AAG), a Non-Governmental Organisation in collaboration with the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE). 

Participants included Queen mothers and women groups drawn from the Bono and Ahafo Regions and aimed at promoting women rights. 
 
Mrs Bempong expressed concern about women’s underrepresentation in governance structures, despite the country’s commitment to gender equality and various African protocols and charters. 
 
She said Ghana was a signatory to key agreements like the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance and the Maputo Protocol. 
 
These agreements advocated social and political equality of women and men, equal representation of women in all electoral processes and gender parity in representation at all levels, respectively, she said. 
 
Mrs Bempong said the under-representation of women in government hindered the country’s progress towards inclusive development, saying the nation still fell short of the United Nations benchmark of 30 per cent minimum female representation in decision-making positions. 
 
She stressed that the current state of women’s representation in Parliament was not the best and alarming too, with only 40 representing 14.5 per cent of the 275 Members of Parliament (MPs) being women as of 2020. 
 
Mrs Bempong said: “The Regional disparities are also stark, with some regions like Bono, Northern, and Upper West having no women representatives at the District Assembly levels”. 
 
Historically, she said the nation had shown political will through institutional mechanisms like the establishment of the National Council for Ghana Women in 1960 aimed at recognising women’s contributions to the independence struggle and promoting female empowerment in national governance. 
 
The progress remains slow in meeting key representation targets, with legal commitments existing, however the implementation and enforcement are limited. 
 
Mrs Bempong said the Cabinet which held the Executive Power of the government had an average of 19 cabinet ministers since 1997, however, the number of female cabinet members had just three in average. 
 
The largest share of female cabinet ministers was in 2013, at 389 per cent, while the lowest was in 2009, at 105, she stated, adding that currently, there were only three women cabinet ministers, accounting for 16 per cent. 
 
Mrs Bempong mentioned that key barriers to women participation include institutional and political factors like lack of party support, inadequate resources for campaigns, and gender-based violence. 
 
Others include structural and cultural factors like illiteracy, lack of awareness, intimidation, and traditional gender roles which play a significant role. 
 
Mrs Bempong said: “The representation of women in parliament is at its highest level since 1960, with 40 women MPs, accounting for 15 per cent,” saying achieving Agenda 2030 and Agenda 2063 required inclusive, people-driven development, particularly empowering women and the youth. 
 
The UNDP recognises the challenge and has plans to collaborate with stakeholders to improve women’s representation in decision-making and thereby increase women’s participation in leadership. 
 
Mrs Bempong stressed that the 2023 District Level Elections presented an opportunity to boost women’s involvement in governance and urged women to develop interest and contest in the elections. 

Source: GNA