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Twenty years ago, September 2004, the Women’s Manifesto for Ghana was developed and launched by a broad constituency of women’s groups and allies nationwide.
The manifesto emerged as a response to the unending socio-cultural inequalities and disparities that were not adequately addressed by the state, its agencies, and political parties. It emphasizes the limited participation of women in politics and policymaking, their challenges in accessing essential resources like land, their disadvantaged economic positions, and other forms of systemic inequality that hinder women’s full participation in society.
The manifesto was a call to action, aiming to create a more equitable socio-political environment and improve gender relations in Ghana.
After 20 years of the launch of the Manifesto, women’s group such as ABANTU for Development, Women’s Manifesto Coalition, Activists and other Women’s rights advocacy Organizations gathered in Accra on Tuesday, September 3, 2024 to celebrate the notable achievements that have been accomplished and the implementation of some of the demands within the Manifesto.
In her remarks at the well-attended event to celebrate the 20 years existence of the Manifesto, Madam Hamida Harrisson, Convener of the Women’s Manifesto Coalition (WMC) noted, “As we meet here to mark 20 years of the Manifesto, we celebrate the recent passage of the landmark Affirmative Action Gender Equity Law. This is undoubtedly a far-reaching, game-changing legislation towards addressing the historically unfair treatment and marginalization of many groups of people, especially women.”
The Anniversary, which was held on the theme,“WMC @ 20: Celebrating the Gains Through the Third Review Process”, Madam Harrison pointed out that the passage of the Affirmative Action Gender Equity Law reflects on the significant progress made in the 20 years since the launch of the Women’s Manifesto for Ghana, including the notable achievements and implementation of several demands from the manifesto.
She said the passage of this law, along with other gender-related legislations and the increasing visibility of women in high-profile leadership roles, demonstrates Ghana’s capacity to confront deeply entrenched biases and structural inequalities. These advancements are seen as crucial steps toward promoting women’s rights, achieving gender justice, and driving social transformation in the country.
Speaking on the topic ‘Passage of the Affirmative Action Law; Fulfilling Demand for Gender Equality, Lawyer Sheila Minkah-Premo, Convener of the Affirmative Action Coalition stated that The journey toward the passage of the landmark Affirmative Action Gender Equity Law was long and involved significant groundwork.
Madam Minkah-Premo said Prior to 2011, considerable efforts were already underway, laying the foundation for the law. In 2011, a technical committee was established, chaired by a distinguished figures and key members actively participating. She narrated that both secondary research and extensive consultations across the country to gather views on the issues at hand.
She continued, “After collecting this information, key members, including myself, the chair, and Madam Hillary Gbedema—one of the key figures of the Women’s Funding Festival—was tasked with summarizing the findings and distilling the public’s demands. This summary became the basis for drafting the law. The drafting process was iterative, with several drafts emerging between 2014 and 2018, marking important milestones in the development of the final legislation.”
Women’s rights Advocates have noted that the attention that was demanded 20 years ago within the ten critical areas of concern, has been slow.
Timelines in many of the demands have passed without being addressed, however, there have also been very significant, encouraging and lasting progress made during the period to enhance women’s voices.
The WMC informed participant the event that, the Women’s Manifesto for Ghana is currently undergoing its third review, to incorporate the various changes in the socio-political, economic and other aspects of the life of the Ghanaian woman.
Eminence Joana Opare, International Consultant and Chairperson of the Conflict Resolution Committee of the National Peace Council, who chaired the event emphasized the need for Ghanaian women to renew the momentum to mobilise and re-strategise in the wake of producing its third edition and Parliament’s passage of Ghana’s Affirmative Action Bill.
By: Mohammed Suleman
