Government is on track to meet the 30 per cent target for women in leadership by 2026, under the Affirmative Action Act, Dr Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, has said.

She said Ghana had hovered around 25 per cent for some time and was hopeful of reaching the benchmark next year.

Dr Lartey made the remarks at the opening of the African Women in Leadership Organisation’s (AWLO) HeForShe Summit in Accra.

The summit was held under the theme: “Redefining Masculinity: Men as Catalysts for Women’s Development.”

It brought together AWLO leaders from across the continent, alongside other women’s groups, to discuss inclusive leadership and gender equity.

Dr Lartey said the Ministry was championing the implementation of the Affirmative Action Act, 2024, in collaboration with Parliament and civil society organisations.

“We continue to lead in reforming social protection systems that directly impact women and children from LEAP to school feeding.

“And we are partnering with development agencies and the private sector to advance opportunities for women in leadership, innovation and enterprise,” she added.

The minister praised the record of President John Dramani Mahama in promoting women’s empowerment, describing his efforts as transformational.

“He made history by nominating Professor Nana-Jane Opoku-Agyeman not once but twice as running mate. He has led the way in promoting affirmative action within government boards and public service appointments,” she said.

Dr Elisha Attai, Global President of AWLO, called on men in leadership to actively support women’s representation in decision-making spaces.

He urged them to use their influence to mentor and uplift women.

“We need men who are not only allies behind closed doors, but advocates in public, mentors in leadership spaces and defenders of equality in every sphere of society, making them champions and not opponents of equity,” he said.

Reverend Dr Nanayaa Tina Owusu-Prempeh, President of Women in Leadership International, emphasised that women’s empowerment should be seen as complementary to men’s roles, not competitive.

“True masculinity is not in opposition to women’s empowerment. Times have changed, and I want men to start thinking like that. And women, don’t think that you are fighting with the men,” she said.

Dr Owusu-Prempeh appealed to Government to expedite the implementation of policies that favoured women, noting that such measures would strengthen their participation in leadership and decision-making.