Mrs Sheila Minkah-Premo, the Coalition Convenor, said this was crucial to enable the country to have 30 per cent women representation in all sectors of the economy.

She made the call during a day’s training workshop for journalists and influencers on the Affirmative Action Act (AAA) organised by Oxfam Ghana in collaboration with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) in Accra.

Affirmative action remains a critical policy and legal framework mechanism aimed at promoting inclusivity, equity, and representation in various sectors of society.

The recent passage of the Affirmative Action (Gender Equity) Act, 2024 (Act 1121) is an important step towards addressing gender inequalities in Ghana and ensuring that women who are currently marginalised in decision-making are equally represented at all levels.

Mrs Minkah-Premo explained that, the Act mandates proactive measures in both public and private sectors to increase the participation of women in leadership, education, employment, and governance; thus, it was important for the incoming government to ensure this became a reality.

“We are interested in seeing an increase in gender equity in our parliament. Currently, in the eighth parliament, we have 14.5 per cent of them as women, which is way below what the law requires, way below what the United Nations requires, which is 30 per cent minimum of gender equality,” the Convenor added.

She said to increase the number of women in parliament, some special seats should be created, saying, “I believe that if we can create some special seats on the lower level, it could be a way in which we can immediately increase the numbers of women in parliament before the next election.”

Mrs Minkah-Premo said the law, in its first schedule, provides timeliness and targets by which gender parity should be progressively achieved by 2030 in line with the Sustainable Development Goals 5.

She said it was thus essential for journalists and influencers to understand the provisions, implications and opportunities as the law gained momentum for accountability.

Mrs Minkah-Premo encouraged the public and the media to refrain from calling out gender-specific attacks, victimisation and harassment of women in public life and leadership.

The aim of the training was to increase awareness and understanding of the AA Act, enhance reporting and advocacy skills, promote public engagement and encourage collaborative advocacy efforts.

Mrs Mary Tobbin Osei, the Managing Director Kanko, trained journalists on the role of the media and influencers in implementation as well as ethical reporting on the AA Act.

She advised the media to embrace their responsibility and collaborate with other stakeholders to enable them to contribute to a brighter future towards gender equality in Ghana.

“Without our collective efforts, implementation of this Act will not see the light of day,” she added.

Mrs Thelma Akyere Hayford, Gender Advisor Oxfam in Ghana, called for the support of local and international organisations, civil society organisations and women’s rights organisations to hold governments accountable in the implementation of the Affirmative Action Act.

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Raphael Hokey urged communities to collectively push for such involvement of women and respect for their suggestions during decision-making on community lands.

“The Queen mother also has a stake in community land. I know it is not easy, but we have to keep making noise about this advocacy until it is accepted into our system,” he said.

Mr Hokey made the call on Thursday during a National Expert Dialogue on Large-Scale Land-Based Investment (LSLBI) Guidelines in Ghana.

The event, organised by the Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII) in Accra, brought together key stakeholders for an insightful discussion leading to effective and enforceable guidelines for (LSLBIs) in Ghana.

He promised to add his voice to the advocacy at the Commission level to strengthen female representation at the Customary Land Secretariat.

Mr Hokey said public education on land matters was an unending activity which needed all hands-on deck.

He urged stakeholders to support the Commission to carry out such sensitisation programmes.

Mary Awelana Addah, Executive Director of GII, in her welcoming address, said land was not only a vital economic resource but also a cornerstone of heritage, identity, and livelihood for millions of Ghanaians.

She said the evolving dynamics of global food demands and economic development had ushered in a new era of large-scale land acquisitions.

Mrs Addah said while these investments held the promise of enhanced food production and economic growth, they also presented a complex set of challenges, as documented by the International Land Coalition (ILC).

“As highlighted by the ILC, issues like corruption, unequal land access for women, and environmental sustainability concerns threaten to overshadow the potential benefits.”

“Furthermore, a lack of public awareness and stakeholder engagement can exacerbate these challenges, hindering the realization of transparent, equitable, and sustainable land investments.”

Mamaga Agumekosua V, Paramount Queen Mother of Logba Traditional Area, bemoaned the failure of stakeholders to implement policies and called for the firm enforcement of laws on land acquisition.

“No one seems to take responsibility for the implementation of all existing laws. We always meet to make policies but struggle to implement them. If enforcement is done well, it would prevent land disputes and its associated corruption,” she said.

Mamaga Agumekosua V, also the Secretary to the Volta Region Queen Mothers Association, attributed some land disputes to the exclusion of women during negotiations with land buyers.

“On many occasions, meetings with investors seeking to acquire a piece of land are done clandestinely without the involvement of the queen mother. At the end of the day, you’ll see someone come to your area to start a project without your knowledge.”

“This causes tension in the family because there are family members who support the Queen mother and want to ensure that no one is left behind in the negotiation process.”

She said at other times, Traditional Authorities were misinformed about the real intentions of investors.

Miss Lois Aduamoah-Addo, Programme Manager, WILDAF Ghana, said land laws should be made accessible and simplified for all to read and understand.

She said deliberate actions should be made to make it easy for women, persons with disabilities and vulnerable groups to partake in discussions on land acquisition and its use.

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