Amnesty International Ghana, a leading human rights organization committed to promoting gender equality and social justice, expresses deep disappointment and concern over the new government’s disregard for the recently enacted Affirmative Action Law. This law mandates a minimum of 30% representation for women in government appointments, a critical step toward addressing systemic gender inequality in leadership and decision-making.
Despite clear legal obligations, the composition of the government’s announced appointments (Transition Team and Anti-Corruption Committee) demonstrates a worrying lack of commitment to upholding the principles of inclusion, equity, and justice. By failing to meet the 30% quota for women in leadership positions, the new administration not only violates the law but also undermines the aspirations of millions of women and girls across the country who look to this legislation as a beacon of hope for a more equitable future.
The Affirmative Action Law was designed to rectify decades of underrepresentation of women in governance and public administration. It reflects the collective will of the people, painstaking advocacy by civil society, and a commitment to international human rights treaties that the country is a party to, including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). This failure to comply is a step backward for gender equality and sets a dangerous precedent for the rule of law.
We advise the government puts in place the following actions:
- Review and Restructure Appointments: The government must urgently review and adjust its appointments to comply with the legal requirement of at least 30% representation for women specifically for the Anti-Corruption Committee.
- Transparent Recruitment Processes: All future appointments must include clear, transparent, and gender-inclusive recruitment procedures to ensure adherence to the Affirmative Action Law. For example, a minimum of 18 of the appointed 60 ministers should be women.
- Strengthen Monitoring Mechanisms: We call on the Affirmative Action Law Coalition and other stakeholders to intensify monitoring and hold government accountable for non-compliance.
Failure to act on these demands will not only erode public confidence in the incoming government’s commitment to equality but also jeopardize progress toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 5 on Gender Equality.
Failure to act on these demands will not only erode public confidence in the incoming government’s commitment to equality but also jeopardize progress toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 5 on Gender Equality.
GENEVIEVE PARTINGTON, COUNTRY DIRECTOR,AI GHANA
Amnesty International Ghana stands in solidarity with women across the country and reaffirms its commitment to advocating for justice, equality, and the full implementation of the Affirmative Action Law. We urge the government to take decisive action to correct this failure and to ensure that the principles of fairness and representation are upheld in all appointments.
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