The Parliamentary Network Africa’s (PNAfrica) Gender Advocacy to Parliament Project (GAP) under the auspices of the French Embassy has charged the government to take action and submit the Affirmative Action Bill to Parliament.
Sammy Obeng, the Executive Director of the PNAfrica who made the call expressed concerns that without sufficient pressure, the passage of the bill into law will remain elusive.
He spoke at a high-level breakfast meeting on Friday, July 21, 2023, organized by PNAfrica under the auspices of the French Embassy in Ghana.
He suggested that, in the absence of government initiative, exploring the possibility of championing portions of the Bill through private member’s legislation could be considered.
He, however, stressed the importance of maintaining a holistic approach to the bill, considering the ongoing comprehensive process already initiated.
“We’ve heard the President time and again come to Parliament, even during State of the Nation Address, promising and giving timelines that have never worked. Until that gets done and laid in Parliament, there is little that the legislature can do,” said Mr. Sammy Obeng, underlining the need for executive commitment to move the bill forward.
He added, “Depending on the time that it will come to Parliament, the period between now and when Parliament rise will determine whether the House will be able to pick it. So it rests heavily with the executive.”
He emphasized the need for CSOs and gender advocates to intensify their advocacy and communicate effectively with the executive to overcome potential bottlenecks and drive progress in passing the Affirmative Action Bill into law.
At the breakfast meeting, female Members of Parliament (MPs), Members of the Gender and Children Committee of Parliament, leaders of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) focused on gender issues, heads of women-led CSOs, and other stakeholders came together to foster collaboration, exchange ideas, and explore potential areas of cooperation to advocate effectively for gender-based policies and promote women’s active participation in Parliament.
The GAP Project, funded by the French Embassy in Ghana, aims to strengthen gender-based CSOs to engage with women MPs continuously.
It also aims to facilitate better parliamentary advocacy towards adopting laws and policies that ensure equality, non-discrimination, gender equity, gender parity, and the promotion of economic, social, political, reproductive, and sexual rights of women and girls.
Responding to inquiries about the support offered to female MPs after winning their Parliamentary seats, Mr. Obeng explained the challenges CSOs face in providing assistance due to divergent views on the best approach.
The meeting sought to build a common platform for CSOs and parliamentarians to collaborate effectively, with the ultimate goal of empowering women and achieving gender equality in Ghana’s Parliament.
