The passage of the Affirmative Action (Gender Equality) Bill by the country’s parliament on 9 August 2024 marked a victory for women’s rights in Ghana. The bill, which has been years in the making, is the result of several actors, allies and activists lobbying and protesting for over a decade. The bill in it its current form makes it compulsory to have women either elected or appointed to major decision-making organs of public life. The Conversation Africa spoke to lawyer and gender scholar Josephine Jarpa Dawuni about the key aspects of the bill.
What are the key aspects of the new law?
The bill attempts to ensure the achievement of gender equality in the political, social, economic, educational and cultural spheres of Ghanaian society.