President John Dramani Mahama says both Ghana and China have made significant progress in advancing women’s rights and expanding opportunities across education, governance, science and technology.

Speaking in an exclusive interview on China Global Television Network (CGTN) as part of the commemoration of 65 years of Ghana–China diplomatic relations, Mr Mahama said gender parity in Ghana’s basic and secondary school enrolment reflects a major shift from previous decades.

“We have gender parity when it comes to enrolment in school, as many girls are going to school as boys. Before, it wasn’t the same,” he noted, adding that more Ghanaian women are now occupying top positions in public service and national governance.

Mr Mahama praised China’s progress in empowering women, referencing President Xi Jinping’s speech at the Global Leaders Meeting on Women, where “the word development was mentioned more than 20 times,” underscoring China’s recognition of women as central to national advancement.

Citing Chinese data, the CGTN host highlighted that women account for 43% of employment in high-quality development sectors, 45.8% in science and technology roles, and nearly one-third of the digital trade, e-commerce, and live-streaming economy — figures Mr Mahama described as evidence of rapid, meaningful progress.

The interview forms part of broader discussions on the evolving Ghana–China partnership, which spans trade expansion, industrialisation support, vocational training, and China’s proposed Global Governance Initiative.

The conversation also revisited President Mahama’s recent meeting with President Xi, where both sides explored new areas of cooperation, including the ongoing push for a potential zero-tariff agreement and deeper collaboration in industrial value addition.

As Ghana strengthens its female workforce and consolidates gains in education and leadership, Mahama said the country stands to benefit from China’s experience in integrating women into fast-growing economic sectors.