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Effective implementation of Affirmative Action Law key to gender equality — Convenor
Mrs 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 per cent 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 Convener 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 per cent 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.
—GNA
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A woman who is accused of bolting with ‘susu’ money totaling GH₵156,445 has appeared before an Accra Circuit Court.
Martha Nana Esi Afful was alleged to have collected the money from 35 complainants.
Charged with 35 counts of fraudulent breach of trust, Martha, who was earlier remanded, pleaded not guilty.
The court, presided over by Mr Joseph Y. Kuunsong on Wednesday, admitted the accused person to a GH₵200,000 bail with two sureties.
One of the sureties, the court said, must be a public servant earning not less than GH₵5,000.
She is expected to reappear on August 12, 2026.
The Prosecution’s case before the court is that the complainants are traders and residents at La in Accra.
Prosecution described Martha as a ‘Susu’ collector, who resided at Burma Camp.
The court heard that the accused person run a business with the name ‘ZOE’ and she deceived the 35 complainants into believing that she collected ‘Susu’ daily, which was kept for a period of one-three years, and paid interest on the money invested.
The complainants contributed in 2023 for a three-year period, prosecution said.
In December 2025, when the complainants went to take their money with interest, Martha went into hiding and only took phone calls from a few complainants.
Prosecution said the accused provided a MTN Momo number through which a few of the complainants still paid monies.
It said all efforts made to collect the money, totaling GH₵156,445 from her, proved futile.
On June 14, 2026, a report was made to the police and Martha was picked up at a washing bay at Tse Addo.
During interrogation, she admitted the offence in her caution statement, saying she lost her husband and relocated to Swedru in the Central Region, hence the complainants were unable to reach her from December 2025 till date.
Prosecution said Martha further stated that she had invested the monies into refuse collection business and she needed time to pay the amount.
Police are investigating the claims. –GNA
A Public Health Nurse at the Roman Ridge Sub-Municipal of the Ayawaso West Health Directorate, Ms Patience Adoli Kporxah, has cautioned the public against coming into contact with floodwaters, warning that exposure can lead to serious diseases, infections and injuries.
Floodwater, she said, should always be treated as contaminated, regardless of how clean it appears, because it may contain sewage, human and animal waste, chemicals, fuel, sharp objects and disease-causing micro-organisms.
In an interview with The Spectator in Accra on Thursday, Ms Kporxah explained that contact with contaminated floodwater exposes people to bacteria, viruses, parasites, hazardous chemicals and other physical hazards that can result in illness or injury.
Her advice came in the wake of recent exposure to floodwater following Monday’s torrential rains that left vast areas of the capital flooded.
As a result, a lot of people were seen either ‘swimming’ in the floodwater to rescue people or retrieving items being washed away.
According to her, exposure to floodwater could cause skin infections, particularly where there are cuts or open wounds, as well as diarrhoea diseases such as cholera, typhoid fever, dysentery and other forms of gastroenteritis if contaminated water was swallowed.
Other health risks, she said include hepatitis A, eye and ear infections, tetanus in people with untreated wounds or incomplete vaccination, and injuries from submerged sharp objects, debris or electrical hazards.
Ms Kporxah advised anyone who had contact with floodwater to monitor their health closely and seek immediate medical attention if they develop symptoms such as fever, diarrhoea, vomiting, abdominal pain, severe headache, muscle aches, skin rash, difficulty breathing, or yellowing of the eyes or skin.
She also urged people whose wounds became red, swollen, painful or begin to discharge pus, as well as those who accidentally swallow floodwater, to report to the nearest health facility without delay.
Although not everyone exposed to floodwater requires immediate treatment, she stressed that pregnant women, people with weakened immune systems, individuals living with chronic illnesses and those with significant wounds should seek prompt medical evaluation.
On water safety, Ms Kporxah cautioned that rainwater was not automatically safe for drinking or cooking, especially during or after flooding. She explained that rainwater collected from roofs, gutters or open containers could be contaminated by bird and animal droppings, dust, leaves, bacteria, viruses, parasites and chemical pollutants.
She advised that rainwater intended for drinking should first be treated by boiling, chlorination or another approved water purification method before use.
Touching on food safety, Ms Kporxah said factory-sealed bottled drinks and canned foods with intact packaging might still be safe after flooding.
However, she stressed that any containers submerged in floodwater should be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected before handling. Foods in paper packaging, damaged containers or products with broken seals should be discarded because contaminated water may have seeped into them.
She further warned that flooding increases the risk of outbreaks of cholera, typhoid fever and other waterborne diseases through contaminated water sources.
In addition, she said flooding could contribute to respiratory illnesses in overcrowded shelters and mould-infested buildings, foodborne illnesses from spoiled or contaminated food, and mental health conditions such as anxiety, stress, depression and trauma.
It could also disrupt access to medicines and healthcare for people living with chronic conditions, including diabetes, hypertension, asthma and kidney disease.
Ms Kporxah therefore urged the public to practice good hygiene, avoid unnecessary contact with floodwater, consume only safe food and drinking water, and seek medical attention promptly whenever symptoms develop.
She said observing these preventive measures would help minimise the risk of disease outbreaks and protect lives as the country continues to experience heavy rains and flooding in some communities.
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
