Tuesday, 1st July, 2025
Hon Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzrah
Ho West
Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to make this Statement to mark the International Day of Parliamentarianism, as observed yesterday, 30th June, 2025.
This globally recognised day, established by the InterParliamentary Union (IPU) and the United Nations (UN), invites us to reflect on the important role of parliaments in promoting democracy, good governance, accountability, and inclusive representation for all, including women, youth, and minorities.
Mr Speaker, the theme for this year’s commemoration of the International Day of Parliamentarianism is “Achieving Gender Equality, Action by Action” emphasising that genuine change is achieved through consistent, everyday efforts by individuals, communities, organisations, and governments. Gender equality is a practical necessity for establishing fair, prosperous, and resilient societies.
Mr Speaker, the theme is apt, as it addresses the perennial issue of the under-representation of women in parliaments worldwide. This is because the lack of gender equality in most parliaments results in a shortage of gender-responsive legislators and policies, which fail to promote participatory democracy and inclusive development. Although progress has been made worldwide, gender equality remains an ongoing endeavour that requires consistent and deliberate effort at all levels. These barriers not only limit individual potential but also hinder social and economic development. Let me dispel the mistaken impression that achieving equality means making women more like men or vice versa. That is incorrect. Instead, it is about ensuring that everyone, regardless of gender, has equal opportunities and rights.
Mr Speaker, the Parliament of Ghana has made significant progress in promoting gender equality through legislative policy and institutional reforms. An important milestone is the Affirmative Action (Gender Equity) Act, 2024 (Act 1121) which mandates a gradual increase in the representation of women in governance from 30 per cent in 2026 to 50 per cent by the year 2030, along with a gender-responsive budgeting and mechanism for enforcement and accountability.
Key institutional efforts include the Women’s Caucus which empowers women MPs to advocate for inclusive policies and Ladies in Parliamentary Service (LiPS) which improves visibility and capacity of women within parliamentary structures. Despite this advancement, considerable challenges remain. Female representation stays low at only 14.6 per cent in 2025, placing Ghana at 137th worldwide. Structural and cultural barriers, weak enforcement of the Gender Equity Act, and limited civic education impede progress.
To address these issues, Parliament must enact more substantial reforms, ensure compliance, and strengthen collaboration with civil society to foster a more gender-inclusive and democratic institution. The Parliament of Ghana has played a vital role in strengthening democracy, encouraging peaceful political transitions and broadening representation. The 2021 hung Parliament, with equal seats held by both major parties, fostered greater scrutiny of executive action and bipartisan collaboration on legislation and development. Parliament has gained international recognition for its democratic resilience and modernisation efforts, including the adoption of new Standing Orders in 2024.
However, challenges remain. Parliament has sometimes struggled to exercise effective oversight in moments of chaos and misconduct, such as the violence in the Election of Speaker in 2021 and the bipartisan walk outs, have damaged the image of Parliament. Public trust has further weakened by the disconnect between the expectations of the citizens and the legislative role of the MPs, as many Ghanaians prioritise constituency service over lawmaking and oversight. A 2024 survey revealed that only 8 per cent and 2 per cent of citizens value lawmaking and oversight, respectively and stressed the need for increased public education and institutional reforms.
Mr Speaker, it is essential to note that yesterday, while commemorating the day, Parliament also inaugurated the Open Parliament Steering Committee and launched the Open Parliament Action Plan, a timely and strategic step in the effort of Ghana to deepen democratic governance under the Open Government Partnership (OGP). The Action Plan is structured around four key pillars: transparency, accountability, citizen participation, technology and innovation. It aims to address significant challenges, including limited public access to legislative process, low youth and gender inclusion and inadequate follow-up on parliamentary decisions.
Mr Speaker, since joining the OGP in 2011, Ghana has made notable strides in promoting transparency, accountability, civic participation, and technologydriven governance. Key reforms under the OGP include the Right to Information Act, the 2019 (Act 989), Public Financial Management Act, (2016) (Act 921) and the Office of the Special Prosecutor Act, 2017 (Act 959), among others.
Mr Speaker, more importantly, the inauguration of the OGP Caucus in Parliament, as well as the establishment of the Citizens’ Bureau which promotes collaboration between Parliament and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have strengthened citizens engagement and increased legislative transparency. The leadership of Ghana in OGP was recognised at a regional meeting in Kenya in March 2025, where Ghanaian MPs urged counterparts in La Côte d’Ivoire and Benin to initiate their own Open Parliament initiative effort that is now showing promising results.
In 2022, the Parliament of Ghana ranked first in the Open Parliament Index which assessed 13 West African legislatures. The inauguration of the Open Parliament Steering Committee and the launch of a new Action Plan further confirms the commitment of Parliament to openness and inclusive governance. Although challenges persist, the strong collaboration between Parliament and CSOs is set to enhance Ghana’s standing in open government through co-creation and collective accountability.
Mr Speaker, as we commemorate this International Day of Parliamentarianism, let us renew our commitment to upholding the principle of parliamentary democracy. Let us work together to build a more accountable, inclusive and effective Parliament that serves the best interests of all Ghanaians and stands as a beacon of democracy on the African continent and beyond.
Thank you, Mr Speaker, for the opportunity.
Hon Shaibu Mahama
Daboya/Mankarigu
Mr Speaker, let me thank you very much for the opportunity and to thank the maker of the Statement, our able Chairman for the OGP, for this important Statement.
Indeed, International Day of Parliamentarianism—Important role of Parliament. This is a very important Statement and it could not have come at a better time. Indeed, the theme is “Achieving Gender Equality, Action by Action”. No doubt, earlier in the afternoon, we got a beautiful Statement from the respected Deputy Minority Leader on women and gender and I think that this statement dovetails into that. Achieving gender equality, action by action.
Mr Speaker, even though we have enacted Act 1121 that talks about gender representation, it is important to note that the milestone that has been given, achieving 30 per cent in 2025 and graduating to 50 per cent in 2030, I think that it is quite a slow pace. My humble view is that we should pursue an aggressive method that will take us to 50 per cent in the next two years and I think that with commitment from Government and other stakeholders, we can achieve this.
Mr Speaker, gender equity is an important topic in every facet of our daily lives and I think it is important that women are given the right opportunity. We talked about football a while ago. The last time we got a trophy from football, Mr Speaker, was four decades ago. Perhaps, the women, the gender, they will be the ones to bring us the next. So, let us encourage that. Let us move towards achieving 50 per cent in the next two years and not in the next five years. I think that together we can fight to get this done.
Let me thank the maker of the Statement. Indeed, if you look at our current female representation, Mr Speaker, 14.6 per cent is woefully troubling and I do not fault the makers of the Statements when they say we are looking at achieving 30 per cent. It is because the current status is 14.6. I think that as a nation, we should work towards getting this done as quickly as possible. The year 2030 is far too long to achieve 50 per cent.
Mr Speaker, I thank you very much for the opportunity.
Hon Daniel Nana Addo-Kenneth
Okere
Thank you, Mr Speaker, for this opportunity. And I want to congratulate the maker of the Statement.
I think it has come at the right time. We are privileged to have been elected by various constituents to be part of this Ninth Parliament. And I believe that this Ninth Parliament presents rare opportunity to cause real change.
Mr Speaker, this year, my emphasis on the theme is action by action in terms of achieving gender equality. For many now, we have all been appreciating the fact that we need gender equality. The Eighth Parliament did well by passing the Affirmative Action (Gender Equity) Act, 2024. There is a lot of achievement in terms of establishing the Private Members’ Bill and Private Members’ Motion Committee. These are all avenues that will go to deepen parliamentary oversight and parliamentary policy making.
Mr Speaker, it is important to note that while Parliament makes policies, the Government of the day starts to implement those policies. However, we have so many gender-sensitive issues. We have indicated that this year and over four years, we intend to put GH₵10 billion into the Big Push. This Big Push is supposed to create social infrastructure and alleviate the vulnerable populations which include gender. We have also committed to establishing the Women’s Development Bank. All these policies are supposed to alleviate and upgrade the capacities of women and push them to an equality status.
Mr Speaker, today is 1st July. A lot of initiatives have been earmarked to start from 1st July. Unfortunately, Mr Speaker, I have always been making this statement to my Friends and Colleagues on the other Side. And to borrow a phrase, God in his own wisdom, through Ghanaians, have elected an overwhelming majority of parliamentarians. To the extent that this Parliament, if indeed it is mindful to cause real change, has the capacity to do that without any hindrances.
Mr Speaker, we have over 180 Members of Parliament on the Majority Side. And I have said it to my Friends that Ghanaians should never forgive this Parliament if we are unable to cause real change and if we are unable to play an oversight role in terms of enhancing gender issues. This is a time that we have a clear majority to be able to implement and walk the talk.
Unfortunately, apart from all the achievements we have chalked as Members of Parliament, sometimes as a young Member of Parliament and a first timer, I have always sat here wondering whether we are elected to represent our people or we are supposed to be a mouthpiece of the Government. I have asked several questions on documents that ought to be available for proper scrutiny, so that Members can make informed decisions in enhancing gender equity. I have had cause to worry that the commitment—And we are talking about action by action, and that is where, Mr Speaker, I want to emphasise my statement that the Big Push that we sought, particularly to elevate women, seven months down the line, we have not seen anything about it.
Mr Speaker, seven months down the line, the Women’s Bank which we have touted, we do not have anything to do with it. And the unfortunate thing is that, Mr Speaker, once we activate our oversight, like I did indicate in my earlier statement, we have Members of Parliament who intend to speak for or question what was done in the past. We have this Parliament to hold accountable, to make sure that we are able to implement some of the policies that will enhance gender equality.
This Parliament has a clear majority, and I am reemphasising the fact that Ghanaians will not forgive this Parliament if we are unable to cause real change and if we continue to pay lip service to gender issues.
On that note, Mr Speaker, I will congratulate the maker of the Statement and indicate that as Members of Parliament, we should look more into our oversight responsibility and make sure that we cause real change rather than become spokespersons of the Government.
Thank you very much.
Hon Lydia Lamisi Akanvariba
Tempane
Thank you, Mr Speaker for the opportunity to comment on this great Statement, and thanks to the maker of this Statement, that calls for an action to gender equity.
When we look at the Statement, it tells us that there are inequalities in the system, and that there should be everyday action to make sure that there is equality in the system. So, what are the gender gaps? What calls for the inequalities? One, there are cultural barriers that make it impossible for women to come into the system. Because in our homes, they will tell us we are women, we are not supposed to do this; women are not supposed to do that. Culturally, they have already put us at a point that we do not know what to do.
Mr Speaker, again, we have difficulties in gender mainstreaming. When it comes to gender issues, when we mention gender, people think that we are talking about the female gender but that is not the issue. We are the same, and we should work hand-in-hand, and that at this point, we are expecting the male gender to support the female, to build our capacity, build our composure, build our system in such a way that when we want to do something, we do not have a problem.
Mr Speaker, there are legislative gaps. For instance, we have the Affirmative Action (Gender Equity) Act, 2024, but it is not operationalised because we do not have the needed Legislative Instrument and I think we should work hand-in-hand with the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection to make sure that we bring the Legislative Instrument to make the Affirmative Action Act operational. Again, we need to create that conscious awareness, that what men can do, women can do better. It has been in the system; it has been a talk show, but as to whether we are doing it — we cannot say at the end of the day that, “what men can do, women can do better” is actually in operation. Because just now, our sister mentioned that the female team is at camp to play.
How many of the men have gone to visit them to say that “Ayekoo, you are doing better?” Please encourage women to do better. There is also another gap, inter-ministerial connection between the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection and other Ministries. I think the Ministers should work collaboratively to make sure that the gender policies that we are going to put out in this country will support the female gender to thrive well in society. So, what do we need to do?
Mr Speaker, we need to address these policies and put efforts or conscious measures to support the female gender to do what we are supposed to do in society. Again, there is also misinformation and disinformation. When there is a cartoon about a woman who is not well-dressed, everybody wants to look at it. When there is something about the woman, everybody wants to look at it but when it comes to the male, that one is normal. Nobody talks about it; nobody wants to discuss it. We also need to look at misinformation and disinformation, which is making women want to lag behind; want to sit in their closet; they want to be at home. They do not want to come into the system for people to cartoon them or people to say things that are not good for them to listen to.
Mr Speaker, before I sit, I want us all to understand that when we talk about gender equality, we are not saying that we want to be equal. We just want space as part of society. We want space on the table but not to push the men away. So, their actions should be tailored towards a situation where they just shift small on the table and we sit. We are not coming to push them away. In this part of our world, let us understand that women are supporting men and we need that 30 per cent in all the organisations to help them to do their work and do it better.
Mr Speaker, thank you very much for giving me the opportunity.
Hon Kingsley Nyarko
Kwadaso
Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to add my voice to the Statements on International Day of Parliamentarianism by the Hon Member for Ho West and Chairman of the Open Government Partnership, Hon Emmanuel Kwesi Bedzrah.
Mr Speaker, the theme for this year’s celebration is “Achieving Gender Equality, Action by Action”. I think that even though we are doing our best to encourage and also to ensure that we get most of our women in government positions or to get them into mainstream politics, and other sensitive positions in society, we can do more about that. Looking at our current male to female ratio, we are talking about 14.6 per cent which is even lesser than what we recorded during the 8th Parliament. It is worrying, but I also think that as we are progressing or making progress in society, we should have intentional policies and programmes that will encourage our females in this society to appreciate and put themselves a bit more forward, to occupy positions within our governance framework. As we speak, aside the legislature, the numbers are discouraging when we go to other sectors of our society, but I believe that more can be done about that.
Mr Speaker, beyond that, Parliament occupies a very unique, critical and central position in our democracy. Without Parliament, democracy does not stand and if we have a weak Parliament, it means that we have a very fragile democracy. That is why it behoves on us all to ensure that we do our best to strengthen our legislature, to strengthen our Parliament. If we are able to do that in terms of effective oversight, promoting transparency, accountability, inclusivity, and above all, exhibiting the highest forms of tolerance, I believe that we will be able to make huge strides.
Mr Speaker, democracy without tolerance will not get us nowhere. Because as individuals, we have divergent opinions and views, and we must respect that. I should be able to respect the divergent opinions and views from my Colleagues on the other Side. No matter how I disagree with them, I must respect them. I can only counter with superior argument. That is what we have to do. Otherwise, we find ourselves in a position that will be discomforting. When something happens to our democracy, the first institution that will fall is Parliament. It also means that as Members of Parliament, we must exhibit the highest standards of behaviour. Society must see us to be credible, persons of integrity and persons that they can trust. Dishonesty must not be part of us as Members of Parliament, because the moment it happens, society will look at us and they cannot trust us. That is wrong.
Mr Speaker, let me conclude by commending the Chairperson of the OGP caucus, Hon Bedzrah; he has worked so hard. When it comes to helping our democracy through Parliament, Hon Bedzrah has done well and I must use this platform to commend him. But I believe that he can do more. As humans, we are not complete; we are not perfect; we can make mistakes. I also believe that we must always, at all material times, look at the strength in others. As for weaknesses, we all have them. We need to overlook people's weaknesses and help them to improve on them, but we must rely on their strength. We must encourage them on their strength. That is how we can be better in society.
Mr Speaker, on that score, I want to wish us the very best, and I am hoping that all of us here will be able to make our Parliament a meaningful one and our democracy a more enduring one that will live from generation to generation.
Mr Speaker, over 30 years of parliamentary democracy in Africa is no joke. It is a huge achievement, but we must do our best to safeguard it. We must do our best to protect it. We should not go back into the First, Second or Third Republican era. We must continue on this path and make it better. That will make this country the envy of the world.
Thank you very much for the opportunity, Mr Speaker.
Hon Agnes Naa Momo Lartey
Krowor
I want to thank you for the opportunity to contribute to the Statement ably made by the Chairman of the OGP of Ghana's Parliament.
Today, as we speak, with the OGP, Ghana's Parliament goes a step higher in terms of scoring positive marks. The theme, as the OGP Chairman has stated, “Enhancing gender equality action by action”, is very critical for us, especially with the passage of the Affirmative Action (Gender Equity) Bill, 2024, so that with our collective efforts, we will walk the path towards gender equality. The most critical thing for us to look at this moment is not just the little efforts that we are putting in, but how to sustain those efforts so that it is not as if we take three steps forward and then two steps backwards. Today, when we look at the number of women in Parliament as against the number of men, we would realise that we still have a long way to go, so this is an awakening call for all of us to come together.
The OGP promotes transparency and accountability. It is one of the tenets we need in order to promote gender equality. So, all of us need to commit to it, so that we will be able to sustain the efforts that we are making. It is also important for us to take note that in the Affirmative Action (Gender Equity) Act, 2024, which was passed by this House last year— this month will be one year—
When we look at the Act, especially for elected leadership positions, there are certain critical steps that we need to take. And with these steps, if we lose sight of the timelines, it will be difficult for us to measure ourselves to say that next year, 2026, we will be able to achieve 30 per cent. We have to make the conscious effort to take note of the calendars of the political parties and where to come in to ensure that we harmonise the efforts that are being made or the calendar activities of the political parties, so that we do not miss the opportunity to add more women onto the elected positions. Not just more women—
I want to reiterate the fact that we need more women at critical positions where decisions are taken. I also want to say that we need to also sustain this thing by reminding ourselves of the various responsibilities that we owe to this House and the nation at large. So, when we talk about gender equality, we need to all see to it that it is devoid of partisan colouration in order for us to unite against anything that brings inequality in terms of the gender gaps being widened.
Today, as we celebrate our efforts so far, I want to encourage us to keep the momentum and for us all to unite against inequality. We must also put in efforts to bridge the gender gap. Let me once again say that I thank the maker of this Statement.
Thank you, Mr Speaker.
Hon Patricia Appiagyei
Asokwa
Thank you, Mr Speaker and I want to thank the maker of the Statement, Hon Bedzrah, for taking us through the critical need of ensuring that we achieve gender equity, action-byaction.
Mr Speaker, I cannot agree more with my Hon Lamisi Akanvariba on the fact that, in order to achieve gender equity, we need to identify the critical factors that affect the achievement of this gender equity and it is important. When we say action-by-action, it means that we cannot just overlook anything that is contributing to the challenge of achieving that kind of equity.
So, it is important that the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, which is the oversight Ministry ensuring the implementation of the affirmative action plan, has a critical responsibility to ensure that whatever has to be done to facilitate the implementation of the Affirmative Action Act, 2024 is done at a more facilitated mode than it is doing at the moment. I know that the Minister got up and indicated a number of steps that has to be taken, but I feel that it is her responsibility to ensure that.
This is because we have a right roadmap of pursuing and ensuring that we will do so. When we say action-by-action, it means that in selecting appointees for a government responsibility, we need to ensure that we achieve 30 per cent in every aspect of appointments that is made by the Government. It is also important that we establish the systems or various mechanisms that we would use to assess the achievement of that 30 per cent. It also means that we need to make a conscious effort.
The reason we require a number of women in Parliament, or trying to achieve gender equity or equality, is to ensure that we cannot overlook the responsibility of Parliament in ensuring that, if we cannot make sure that we achieve our constitutional mandate, we should not overlook our engagement with the civil society, queen mothers and with all strata of people that we need to engage.
Mr Speaker, I would like to even mention that, as we speak now, even as Women’s Caucus of this Parliament, because of our numbers, when we want to ensure the implementation of the Affirmative Action Act, 2025 is done so appropriately, what we have adopted to do is to even engage our queen mothers because our numbers are few to ensure its implementation. So, it is important that whatever action must be taken to ensure gender equity must be done with the supervision of the right sector Ministry to achieve that.
With these few words, Mr Speaker, I thank you for my contribution.
Hon Laadi Ayii Ayamba
Pusiga
Thank you, Mr Speaker, and I thank the Hon Leader for the opportunity. Let me thank the maker of the Statement, Hon Bedzrah, for the Statement that has been made. We are grateful.
Mr Speaker, I believe that the theme which he has put across could not have come at a better time. Fortunately, on our part, this Parliament passed the Affirmative Action Act, 2024 (Act 1121). The issue of equity has become law and, once it has become law since 2024, what we need next is action to ensure that it is implemented. Once there is equity, I believe that, gradually, we will be able to get the equality that we are looking at. Mr Speaker, there is a lot of action that needs to be taken to enable us to implement the Affirmative Action Act, 2024.
Mr Speaker, in this very Chamber, we will understand and know that this is a law. But how many people out there – even those who are supposed to support us, let us even start from the Unit Committee level, where leadership in politics starts – are ready to support us? And how many people understand, even at the district assemblies, that this law that has been passed needs to be adhered to? We need to work, go out there and do the sensitisation. In my assembly, there is not even one woman who has been elected in the assembly elections. This is because that understanding is not there and people think that leadership, many a time, is about men. We are not, in any way, interested in taking the lead and leaving men behind.
I have consciously, Mr Speaker, always said when we speak about gender, we are not speaking about only women. We want us to understand that both men and women should be supported to rise to the leadership levels that we need. Mr Speaker, in this direction, I wish to plead that, in order for laws that we pass in this House to not stay on the table, let us all, as Members of Parliament, bring our hands on deck and support the implementation of the Affirmative Action (Gender Equity) Act, 2024. Many a time, we mix the two and people do not even get where we want them to get.
Mr Speaker, once we have a level playing field, I believe that there are many more women out there who can work their way up if given the opportunity. But where would the support come from if we do not do the sensitisation, even with colleague women? Because for today, we know that we have a higher number than the men. We may go to a voting centre and out of the 200 people we would find there, there might be 130 women. But if a woman is contesting, Mr Speaker, at the end of the day, you might find that 170 have voted for the man and only 30 have voted for the woman. The question arises and I want us to correct this and then to continue to talk to women.
Mr Speaker, many a times, some of us, women, go on to say that we are not our own enemies, but come to think of it, we need a lot of education to let us understand that we need one another. Mr Speaker, apart from that, governments, whether the NDC or NPP Governments or whichever government comes to play, should take up this and consider the fact that we need that support.
Mr Speaker, just the Eighth Parliament, we had 20 women each on both Sides and we were 40. Come to think of it, before we could say jack, at the 2024 election, we lost so seriously that left only 10 women of our Sisters at the other Side and we also lost some women on our Side, although we increased to 30. But if they had the 20 women and we also had the 30, we would have been 50. Let us ask ourselves, what happened?
Mr Speaker, I want to plead that you support us. I have always said it. A woman is never your enemy. If one has no sister or aunt, please, they have a mother and we need that support. But then, let me also caution that we should not rely on only the women and the girl child and forget about the boy child. Let me also give this caution because as we forge ahead, if we are not careful, we might also miss out on the boy child and eventually, the men. That will be a very big problem for us. Mr Speaker, I say this because I have seen in certain spaces, especially social media, that men are compelled to marry more than one because women outnumber the men.
Mr Speaker, while we fight for this and work hard to ensure that we are projected and supported to get to the leadership roles, we should not forget about the boy child. Mr Speaker, with these few words, I want to urge my Colleagues here to support us and to give out the information out there to let our assemblies and regions or wherever we are found know that there is a law that we should be given equal opportunities to enable us to participate politically. Any leadership role, we should be given that opportunity.
Mr Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity to contribute to the Statement.
AskParly