Ghana stands to benefit more from passage of Affirmative Action bill

The Executive Director of Ark Foundation, Mrs Angela Dwemena Aboagye said the passage and implementation of the Affirmative Action Bill (AAB) would enhance the economic development of the country.

He said the implementation of effective affirmative programme would encourage the participation of marginalize groups, talents and voices in politics and policy formulation and help enhance the quality of government policies.

Mrs Aboagye was speaking at a workshop on the AAB organized by FIDA, Ghana in collaboration with the Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES) of Germany for Members of the Parliamentary Committees on Gender and Children, Constitution and Legal Affairs and Subsidiary Legislation at Koforidua.

She said research had shown that, women were more cautious in policy formulation and turn to focus on developmental issues that affected marginalized groups such as health, sanitation, water and education.

She said the AA was to create equal opportunities for all and explained that any attempt to create opportunities for girls alone for example, could make the boys to fall behind the girls and that could not help the development of the country.

The Acting Resident Country Director of FES, Mr Christopher Frost, said Ghana had ratified many international conventions on affirmative action and what was now important was for parliament, government and all stakeholders to support the passage of the AAB into law.

Dr Kojo Appiah-Kubi, Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Gender and Children called for a concerted efforts to help remove all the apprehension of MPs on the passage of the AAB into law.

The National President of FIDA, Ghana, said for effective implementation of affirmative action in Ghana, the passage of the AAB into law was a must be achieved agenda.