Dr Maame Adwoa Gyekye-Jandoh, a Senior Lecturer at the University of Ghana’s Political Science Department, is championing a constitutional amendment that would mandate a minimum of 30% of parliamentary seats to be reserved for women.
In a lecture titled “Inclusion of Women in National Elections” delivered in Accra on Wednesday, she articulated that this initiative is aimed at bolstering women’s involvement in policymaking and decision-making.
She underscored that historical barriers such as violence, stigma, and limited financial resources have hindered women’s full participation in politics, thus necessitating a shift in this paradigm.
Dr Gyekye-Jandoh also called for the swift enactment of the long-pending affirmative action bill.
“…I hope and I wish and I call for the 1992 constitution to mandate that at least 30% of elected seats in parliament should go to women…This will ensure that the critical mass or critical minority of women begin to make a difference for women’s interest, needs and priorities as demanded by the various international treaties and conventions.”
“…Further there is need for the immediate passage of the Affirmative Action Bill into law,” she stated.
In addition, Dr Gyekye-Jandoh suggested the creation of a Gender Equality Commission to oversee the execution of quota systems and affirmative action policies.
She further appealed to the government to allocate the necessary budget for the effective operation of the commission.
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