Sheila Minkah-Premo, Convenor of the Affirmative Action Law Coalition, has stressed that the effective implementation of the Affirmative Action (Gender Equity) Act, 2024 (Act 1121), is critical to achieving genuine gender equality in Ghana.

She said while the passage of the law in July 2024 was a landmark achievement after more than a decade of advocacy, its true impact would depend on how well institutions, policymakers, and society commit to its enforcement.

“The law itself will not change the position of women unless we take deliberate steps to ensure that it is fully implemented. By 2026, the law requires that women hold at least 30 percent of positions in governance and decision-making, and this target must not be taken lightly,” Mrs. Minkah-Premo stated.

Mrs. Minkah-Premo was speaking at the opening of a two-day stakeholder workshop on family law reform in Accra, organised by the Initiative for Gender Equality and Development in Africa (IGED-Africa) in collaboration with the Solidarity of African Women’s Rights (SOAWR) Coalition hosted by Equality Now.

The stakeholder workshop, which runs from September 10 to 11, 2025, has brought together civil society actors, legal experts, and policymakers to deepen advocacy on Ghana’s family law reform agenda.

It seeks to accelerate progress on pending legislations such as the Property Rights of Spouses Bill and the Interstate Succession Bill, which have faced years of delays in Parliament despite their potential to safeguard women’s economic and social rights.

Part of wider efforts to consolidate gender equality gains across Africa, the outcomes of the workshop would contribute to regional strategies aimed at tackling persistent barriers to women’s rights and representation.

Mrs. Minkah-Premo, who has been involved in the drafting and advocacy of the Affirmative Action law, said the Act provided a legal framework to progressively increase women’s participation in governance – 30 percent by 2026, 35 percent by 2028, and 50 percent by 2034.

It also establishes a Gender Equity Committee to oversee compliance and issue certificates to institutions that meet set targets.

However, she warned that implementation challenges were already evident, and that, “We are seeing early signs of non-compliance in presidential appointments, funding gaps for the Gender Equity Committee, and delays in setting up the structures needed to make the law effective. These must be urgently addressed,” she said.

The Convenor highlighted that cultural barriers, entrenched stereotypes, and a patriarchal political system continued to undermine women’s representation.

She noted that despite women making up more than 50 percent of Ghana’s population, their presence in Parliament stood at only 14.8 per cent, with just 41 female MPs out of 276.

She added that the Affirmative Action law was designed not only to meet constitutional requirements but also to align Ghana with its international obligations, including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), the Maputo Protocol, and the Beijing Platform for Action.

Mrs. Minkah-Premo urged stakeholders to keep pushing for results, and that “The law is only as strong as the people who defend it. It is up to all of us, civil society, policymakers, and citizens, to hold duty bearers accountable so that gender equality moves from paper to practice.”

Participants emphasised that reforming family laws alongside enforcing the Affirmative Action Act would provide stronger protection for women’s rights and create a more inclusive governance system.

They agreed that coalition-building, public education, and consistent monitoring would be critical in sustaining advocacy and ensuring accountability.