The Minister of Gender, Children, and Social Protection, Dakoa Newman, says the recently passed Affirmative Action Bill will not fill positions with women for the sake of appearances.

She noted that Ghanaian women are equally qualified to hold positions and reminded the public to support its implementation.

“A lot of people have raised issues with speaking about tokenism and the fact that we’re just putting women, I mean, round pegs in square holes or square pegs in round holes. I want to assure the people of Ghana that the women in this country are qualified. And so it’s not going to be a matter of tokenism. We are all aware of the input women make into the Ghanaian society,” she said.

The Affirmative Action Bill seeks to dismantle systemic barriers that have historically hindered women’s progress in various sectors.

It aims to ensure that women are fairly represented and have equal opportunities in decision-making roles across all sectors of society.

Speaking at the Minister’s Press Briefing organised by the Information Ministry in Accra, Ms Newman expressed gratitude to the men in Parliament adding that the Bill would not have been passed without their approval.

The Minister also clarified although the bill had been passed in Parliament, it is yet to reach the President.

“The head of legislation is still tidying up a few things on the Act and once he is done tidying it up, then it can be sent to the President for his assent. So, the final bill you will see is a bit different from the one that is seen on social media, but a lot of the parts and clauses remain the same,” she said.

Additionally, she expressed delight that Ghanaian girls are now opting for maths, science, and technology (STEM) programmes and was optimistic that they would soon qualify to be part of the 50% gender parity target in the Act.

“If you check the first schedule, it talks about 30% from 2024 to 2026, then a minimum of 35% from 2027 to 2028 and 50% from 2029 to 2030,” the Minister explained.

Ms Dakoa Newman further indicated that although the Bill spelled out offences such as jail term or penalty unit, her outfit is more interested in advocating for the portion of the bill which has some tax incentives to private organisations who adhere to the Act.

The Affirmative Action Bill represents a significant step towards achieving gender equality in Ghana, addressing long-standing barriers, and ensuring that qualified women have equal opportunities to contribute to and lead in various sectors.