The Minister Of Planning, Prof George Gyan Baffour, has assured Proponents, advocates and supporters of affirmative action in Ghana that the Affirmative Action Bill will be passed by the end of the current session.
The assurance was revealed at a review of the performance of the gender sector in Accra.
The interactive gathering, dubbed the GADIA Gender sector performance review meeting was under the auspices of Office of the Presidential Advisor on Gender and Development (OPAGAD) and was under theme: Enhancing Gender Sector Performance for Africa’s Development.
Prof Gyan Baffour said when it becomes law, it will accelerate the efforts at meeting SDG 5 target of gender parity in decision making and the AU Gender Agenda of 50-50 representation of men and women.
He said with President Akufo-Addo as the AU Gender Champion, and co-chair of eminent persons for the SDGs, plans are far advanced to make good the pledge to achieve the various gender targets between now and 2030 and was emphatic that promoting gender parity is significant in national development.
The UN resident coordinator in Ghana, Sylvia Lopez-Ekra noted that 2020 is a critical time to ensure gender equality in all sectors of the society.
She urged the participants present to identify unfinished agendas and reflect hoW the sdgs, the beijing declaration and the national gender policy have contributed to national development.
The Presidential spokesperson for Gender and Development, Angela Asante-Essah in her welcome address, emphasized that it was necessary to recognise the need to realize some gender targets. She used the occasion to rally gender advocates and activists on the need to do more within the narrowing time period.
Angela Asante interacting with the press, in her assessment of global gender trends, highlighted the importance of Africa having its own index to appraise the gender sector.
Some participants and stakeholders at the review meeting included Dr Grace Bediako, the chairperson of the Ghana Statistical Service and member of the National Development Planning Commision, Dr. Mokowa Blay Adu-Gyamfi, Presidential Advisor on HIV/AIDS, Comfort Oduro, CEO, Makola Institute, H.E Lulu Marytheresa, South African High Commissioner to Ghana, H.E Phylis Chuma-Chilembe, deputy Zambian High Commissioner to Ghana, and H.E Evilene Hansen, Namibian deputy high commissioner to Ghana among others.
