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Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has expressed his disappointment over the underrepresentation of women in President John Dramani Mahama’s cabinet, stating that any appointments falling below the 30% benchmark for female inclusion are unacceptable.
Speaking at an International Women’s Day event in Parliament, Bagbin highlighted that only two out of 19 Cabinet Ministers are women—far below the 30% requirement set by the Affirmative Action Gender Equality Act. He criticized the slow progress in implementing the law, emphasizing that the country cannot afford to take a lackluster approach to gender inclusivity in leadership.
“We have tarried long enough in passing the bill. Let us not apply the same wishy-washy attitude towards its implementation. I am not impressed with what I have seen so far regarding the leadership position of women in Parliament, committees of Parliament, and appointments into senior positions. Even the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection is not a cabinet ministry,” he lamented.
Bagbin urged Parliament to lead by example in promoting gender equality, calling for a review of leadership positions within the House. He pointed out that out of the 43 committees in Parliament, only four are chaired by women, and out of the 19 ministers in the cabinet, only two are female.
“So, I call on leadership, and I will lead it. They have to consider the reconstitution of leadership in the House. We passed the law, so we have to lead by example. Out of the 43 committees in Parliament, only four are chaired by women. And out of 19 ministers of state in the cabinet, only two are women. So, why did we spend all the resources and time to pass the law? We have to sit up,” he added.
He stressed the urgent need for concrete action to ensure the full implementation of the Affirmative Action Gender Equality Act, urging authorities to uphold their commitments to gender inclusivity in governance.
