Vice President Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, on Wednesday, urged public service agencies to ensure that recruitment, promotions, and appointments to positions are gender-responsive, transparent, and merit-based.

This may be accomplished by cultivating organisational cultures that prioritise merits, fairness, and inclusivity over tokenism and flexible working arrangements.

The Vice President, speaking at the opening of the second annual conference for Women in Leadership in the public sector in Accra, noted that the government was committed to implementing the Affirmative Action and Gender Equity law.

In line with that, the government has expanded the National Archives Insurance School to be more inclusive and financially sustainable, and has launched other economic empowerment initiatives, such as the Women’s Economic Resilience Initiative.

We have also launched other initiatives to broaden women’s access to capital, digital finance tools, and markets, while increasing women’s inclusion in strategic sectors and value chains.

According to the Vice President, these were deliberate policy measures and concrete steps toward a Ghana where women had fairer access to opportunities and could overcome barriers to their advancement and growth.

Prof. Opoku-Agyemang challenged female public service officers not to yield to biases and stereotypes, adding, “act with boldness, act with clarity, act with purpose.”

“To my fellow females, as I said, don’t be intimidated, it is not about making yourself in other people’s image. It is not about your hairline. It is not about your eyebrow It is not about the hair you do not like. It is about impact; it is about staying true to the values.”

The day’s conference is themed “Breaking Barriers, Building Impact: Advancing Women’s Leadership in the Resetting Ghana Agenda.”

As part of its commitment to promoting excellence in governance and advancing Gender mainstreaming in the Public Sector, the Public Services Commission is organising the Women in Leadership conference.

The Conference is designed to empower women holding Leadership positions, such as Chief Directors, Chief Executive Officers, Directors, managers, and analogous grades, in the public sector.

The Conference, among other things, sought to further enhance women leaders' capabilities and position the sector to lead in implementing the Affirmative Action and Gender Equity law.

Madam Lydia Lamisi Akanvariba, Minister of State in charge of Public Sector reforms, said comprehensive reforms to achieve Gender balance in staffing and leadership in the Public sector were ready to be rolled out.

She said the designation of Gender Desk Officers across all government institutions, agencies, and departments was a deliberate step to lead gender mainstreaming initiatives.

Earlier, Ms Nana Oye Bampoe-Addo, Deputy Chief of Staff, said the government was steadily moving towards achieving the targets of the Affirmative Action and Gender Equity law, and President Mahama had clearly demonstrated utmost confidence towards women’s leadership.

She urged women not to let stereotypes and discrimination silence them in their pursuit of leadership roles, noting that the law protects them.

“The law protects you to lead, stand firmly on it and work diligently”, she emphasised.