Parliament must pass Affirmative Action bill before 2024 elections - ABANTU for Development

The Parliament of Ghana has been urged to pass the Affirmative Action Bill before the 2024 election, scheduled for December 7.

This call was made by the Resource Mobilization and Sustainability Manager of ABANTU for Development, Madam Hamida Harrison, during an awareness creation program with selected media houses on Thursday, June 13, 2024.

Explaining to the media practitioners the importance of Affirmative Action, Hamida Harrison noted that the passage will facilitate the inclusion of more women in political roles.

She also noted that the passage of the bill would address what she terms historical marginalization, ensure balance in political representation, and ensure that Ghana fulfills the dictates of some international agreements it has signed on to.

She mentioned the success stories of Rwanda and Sierra Leone as examples Ghana can follow and emphasized the importance of the Affirmative Action Bill to the collective interest of Ghanaians.

"With these two parties occupying all the seats in Parliament over the past seven elections, it is likely impossible for Ghana to maintain the current 14.5% level of women's representation in Parliament after the 2024 elections," she noted.

She stated that out of the 275 Members of Parliament, only 40 are women, placing Ghana below the global average of 26.7% and the Sub-Saharan African average of 27%.

"Persistent inequality between men and women in decision-making roles raises concerns about achieving effective social transformation and the democratization process," Mrs. Harrison emphasized.

"Ghana's Constitution recognizes equality and non-discrimination as central to democratic ideals. However, when the state and institutions like political parties fail to uphold these ideals, it undermines the true value of democracy," she added.

She also charged the Ghanaian media to up the ante in the discharge of their advocacy roles and get Parliament to consider the bill before it is dissolved.

"Advocacy for passing the Affirmative Action Bill will require changing deep-rooted attitudes through multi-pronged processes and involving various stakeholders to carry the agenda forward."

"As policy decisions on gender equality and equity within governance have profound consequences for current and future generations, the media plays a vital role in educating the public and shaping opinions," Mrs. Harrison stated.

The Affirmative Action Bill seeks to engineer the inclusion of women, persons with disabilities, and other marginalized groups in positions of power and decision-making.

EK