Minister of Communications and Digitalization, Mrs Ursula Owusu Ekuful has urged women to take ownership and mount pressure on duty bearers to pass the Affirmative Action Bill.
Speaking at this year’s ‘Women in Governance Dialogue’ organized by the Eve International Foundation in partnership with the affirmative action bill coalition and Oxfam, Hon. Ursula Ekuful noted that, the bills when passed will create a level playing field and increase the chance for women participation at the decision making table.
The affirmative action policy seeks to create more room for women to participate in politics actively. It will also require all sectors to reserve a percentage of their employment for women.
This comes in the wake of failed attempts by various Parliaments to enact the bill into an act.
According to her, the only time women advocated for greater inclusion in the decision-making was after elections which according to her was not the right path to thread.
She however lamented about the number of women currently in parliament adding that “if we are not careful, we will have fewer women in the next parliament than we have now” She said
She further revealed measures by her Ministry works to permanently reduce the gender digital divide through the “Girls in I.C.T initiative” which seeks to empower females with the requisite technological skills.
“If we don’t train females on digital skills today, they will be left further behind than they are because it really is a man’s world” she noted.
She also encouraged stakeholders, development partners, and Civil Servants to be deliberate about opening doors for young girls to acquire digital skills for transformation.
“It is incumbent upon us to identify the next generation of women leaders, to train them, to mentor them, to encourage them, to support them” she said.
The Women in Governance National Dialogue was attended by women advocates for the passed of the bill from various sectors of the Ghanaian economy.