Former President John Dramani Mahama has reemphasised the need for Ghana to pass the age-long Affirmative Active Bill to support women participation in governance and leadership.
According to him, the bill which is one of Ghana’s longstanding bills, if not passed by this government, would be one of the earliest actions to be taken by the NDC government should they regain power after the December 7 polls.
The flag bearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), speaking at the Wa Regional library during a stakeholder engagement as part of his ‘Building Ghana Tour’ in the Upper West Region, said the passage of the bill was long overdue.
“Women and men were created by God as partners and so when we empower our women, we are empowering ourselves and so NDC is committed to making sure that we allow women the opportunity to also realise their full potential in life to what they call the Affirmative Action Bill which is a bill that’s currently in Parliament.
“It is one of the bills that has remained in Parliament for the longest time and I’m urging this Parliament to pass the Affirmative Action Bill or else if they don’t it’ll be one of the first things, legislative items that we’ll do under a new NDC government,” John Mahama indicated.
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In September 2023, Cabinet approved the Affirmative Action Bill and was subsequently submitted to Parliament for consideration under a certificate of urgency.
The Bill seeks to promote women’s participation and representation in decision-making spaces.
That made it the third time the bill has appeared in the House of Legislature.
The Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MoGCSP), Lariba Zuweira Abudu, who announced the approval, said it was sent on September 29, 2023.
She mentioned that the Ministry was fighting hard to ensure that the Affirmative Action Bill was passed into law before the end of 2023.
“We are happy that the Bill has transcended from cabinet to parliament and I thank everyone who has made it possible,” she said.
However, Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, indicated that the nature of the bill required much consultation and input from various stakeholders, making the Executive’s push for it to be passed under certificate of urgency inappropriate.
John Mahama was speaking on March 08, a day earmarked to celebrate women globally.
