Wednesday, 12th March, 2025
Hon Comfort Doyoe Cudjoe
Ada
Thank you, Mr Speaker, for the opportunity.
Mr Speaker, today, the Women’s Caucus in Parliament is celebrating International Women’s Day. International Women’s Day is a global occasion to celebrate women’s achievement in socio-economic, cultural and political spheres while acknowledging the ongoing challenges to gender equality. Recognised by the United Nations to serve as both a celebration and a call to action to address barriers that hinder women’s full participation in society. This year’s theme is Accelerating Action for Affirmative Action.
Mr Speaker, as we commemorate this day, we must also recognise and celebrate the phenomenal women in our modern era who have shattered ceilings and made significant contributions. I extend special recognition to our Vice President, Her Excellency Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang and other distinguished women in leadership and His Excellency John Dramani Mahama for the honour done to women.
Mr Speaker, today we dedicate this celebration to all activists in Ghana and around the world who continue to fight for women’s rights. Ayekoo to all women who wake up daily, working through the rain, dust and scorching sun to sell in the market, farm and engage in small businesses to support their families. We honour the struggle of women who walk long distances for water, fight against discrimination and persevere through hardship to educate their children. Mr Speaker, you have risen beyond the West and created an enabling environment for women by passing the Affirmative Action (Gender Equity) Bill. We say thank you.
Mr Speaker, the President, John Dramani Mahama has also paved way for women by giving us a female Vice President, Her Excellency Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang. Women in Ghana say ayekoo and thank you. Mr Speaker, the men should not forget that God created men because He wanted them, and created women because He needed them.
Every man needs a woman; Mr President needs woman to complete his task. The Ghana Police Service needs women; the Ghana National Fire Service needs women; the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority needs women, and corporate organisations need women. Mr Speaker, we are ready to occupy various positions. We are ready to deliver; they should give us the chance, and we will deliver. Enough of the rhetoric and enough of the sweet words; we should be action now.
Mr Speaker, in conclusion, I call on all stakeholders, government agencies, international organisations, civil society, and every Ghanaian to join forces in accelerating the gender equity agenda. Together, we can create a nation where every woman and girl have an equal chance to strive and contribute meaningfully to our collective progress. Let us rise beyond words and commit to concrete actions to achieve true gender equality.
Mr Speaker, together, let us Accelerate Action! Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity.
Hon Abena Osei-Asare
Atiwa East
Mr Speaker, thank you very much.
Mr Speaker, I rise to support my Colleague who made a Statement on International Women’s Day. I think for our nation, Ghana, we have done a lot, but there is more to be done. Thankfully, we have been able to pass the Affirmative Action (Gender Equality) Act, 2024 (Act 1121), and this was done under the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Government. It had been on the shelves for about 20 good years, but I am happy that, during the time of President AkufoAddo, we passed it and then he also assented to it. We have done a lot for our women, as I said. For now, we have the first woman Vice President. We have also had Chief Justices who are women. I think what is missing is a Minister for Finance who is a woman, and I know that, very soon, Ghana will be having a Minister for Finance who is a woman.
Mr Speaker, women do a lot. We hold the economy in the home; we do a lot for our nation. All we are asking for is recognition because we do a lot. We are not asking for handouts; we are not asking for special privileges, but we are asking that you recognise the role we play. If we look at the population of the world, women occupy more than 50 per cent, yet when it comes to issues concerning women, we have more of the men being those who, for one reason or the other, are being asked to speak on issues concerning women.
Mr Speaker, all we are asking for is not about being at par with men, but it is about recognising our role, and we complementing ourselves and making sure that, at the end of the day, this world is a better place for all of us to live. We are the peacemakers, and we can make the difference as well. In every home, it is the woman who brings about peace in every role, be it at work, be it in the home, or wherever we may find ourselves.
Mr Speaker, so, on this special day, we are asking not for any handouts, but we are asking that you recognise the important role we as women play in the home, society, at the workplace, and the world at large. So, on this note, I would like to wish all women a happy International Women’s Day, especially the hardworking women in Atiwa East Constituency. I am sure that they are all praying very hard for me that being the first woman in the role of the Chairperson of Public Accounts Committee, I will deliver and make sure I make the women proud as well as make the nation proud.
Mr Speaker, thank you very much, for this opportunity.
Hon Emelia Arthur
Shama
Mr Speaker, thank you very much for this opportunity.
I stand here also supporting the message that our Leader, Ms Comfort Doyoe, just gave on this day that we are marking women across the world. As the theme goes, we are talking about equity when it comes to issues relating to both men and women. I am happy that I was made a woman. I do not ever wish that I were a man because of the responsibilities that our society places on men that sometimes are very difficult for them to bear, but they stoically go along with those responsibilities.
Mr Speaker, women hold the world together; women in Ghana hold our economies together; women in Ghana hold our societies together. When we take agriculture, 80 per cent of food crop farmers are women. They make us eat; they make us move, and they make us be able to serve our country.
Mr Speaker, when it comes to the sector that I work in, the fisheries sector, most of the people who make us able to eat fish are women: the fish processors. On this occasion, I doff my hat to all women of this country: my forebears, the women who fought ahead of us, my colleagues who are still in the jungles fighting, and the young ones that are looking up to us. I wish and pray that we will all rise together, and together, we will make our motherland great and strong. God bless us all women in this country.
Mr Speaker, I thank you very much.
Hon Ida Adjoa Asiedu
Ayensuano
Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to contribute to the Statement made by Madam Comfort Doyoe, our Leader from the Majority Side.
Mr Speaker, as we commemorate International Women’s Day, let us recognise the invaluable contributions of women in Ghana and beyond. Progress has been achieved and challenges such as gender-based violence, unequal economic opportunities, and limited leadership representation persist. We must accelerate efforts to ensure equal access to education, healthcare, economic empowerment for all women and girls, strengthening policies to promote female leadership, and fostering inclusivity to drive sustainable development. Let us commit to making gender equality a reality, not an aspiration.
Thank you, Mr Speaker.
Hon Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings
Korle Klottey
Thank you very much, Mr Speaker, for the opportunity to contribute to the Statement made by Hon Doyoe and to commend her for such a Statement.
Also, to remind us that we did come out with a gender equity law, which was the Affirmative Action (Gender Equity) Act, 2024 (Act 1121) last year. This is supposed to make sure that we have 50 per cent women representation in various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).
But in addition to that, on the continental level, the African Union (AU) has just adopted the Convention on Combating Violence Against Women and Girls.
Mr Speaker, this provides for a comprehensive legal framework that seeks to prevent, eliminate, and effectively address all forms of violence against women and girls in Africa. It also seeks to address the persistent barriers to women’s participation in peacekeeping and peacebuilding operations.
Mr Speaker, I believe that as a show of Ghana’s commitment towards realising the equality and equity of women in our society, we must, as a matter of urgency, ratify this Convention and domesticate it in order to make sure that we are not just paying lip service to the idea of women having a fair share of leadership and decision-making in this country. And to make sure that when women do present themselves in positions of authority and to serve in public offices, they are not subjected to undue abuse, whether it is online, verbal or physical.
Mr Speaker, if we truly aim to ensure that we have a better representation in this House, it must start outside of this House, and the only way to do that is to ensure that we ratify and domesticate this Convention and to ensure that we implement the Affirmative Action Act.
Thank you very much, Mr Speaker.
Hon Damata Ama Appianimaa Salam
Afigya Kwabre South
Thank you, Mr Speaker, for giving me this opportunity to also contribute to the Statement made by our Leadership.
Mr Speaker, I would like to thank the Leaders of the Women’s Caucus for making us look beautiful this morning. One can see from our outfits that the ladies here are looking beautiful.
Mr Speaker, on this special day of International Women’s Day, I would like to express my heartfelt congratulations to the millions of women out there, especially those in Afigya Kwabre South, who with the numerous challenges, break all odds to meet the needs of their families and communities. Mr Speaker, on this occasion, we need to reflect on the realities faced by women in Ghana, and to me, these concerns need urgent action and need to be represented. Let me use this opportunity to pose some concerns that I think will also benefit the women out there.
Mr Speaker, what has become of the Affirmative Action Act? Is the Ghanaian woman aware of the outcome of this Affirmative Action Act? Currently, what is the ratio of women to men in terms of key positions in Government? It is high time some considerations are made to make sure that women are more inclusive in the governance of this country. I will implore the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection to make some considerations with regards to that.
Mr Speaker, let me conclude by saying that women matter, and we plead with our men here to make the cases of women their matter.
Thank you, Mr Speaker, for giving me this opportunity.
Hon Felicia Adjei
Kintampo South
Thank you for the opportunity, Mr Speaker, to contribute to the Statement made by my Leader, Hon Comfort Doyoe Cudjoe.
Mr Speaker, any time we celebrate International Women’s Day, I become very sad. This is because we leave the women to sell out there, like the kaya yei who get raped every day. Also, we have some girls who live with relatives and they get raped or are sexually harassed. They cannot say anything because the perpetrators are either their fathers or uncles.
Mr Speaker, we live in this country where we keep talking about women, yet, we are the ones who suffer most of the time when anything happens in this country. Today, as we celebrate International Women’s Day, I want to encourage young women out there who live with their relatives, whether they are house helps or store keepers or they sell for somebody.
I am a bit sad today because I got some information this morning that there is this young lady who lives with a relative whose husband wants to rape her every day —Yes, and when she wants to talk about it The husband wants to rape the house help, and any time the lady wants to talk about it or tries to tell her sister, then another relative comes to say, she is spoiling their marriage because of the way she behaves or the kind of clothes she wears is the reason the husband had interest in her.
Mr Speaker, I want to tell the men that when they see any young woman dressed anyhow, that is how they feel like dressing; it is not their fault. So, if you are a man here and you see a young lady wearing a dress that you think is transparent or you think their bum bum is shaking, please, zip up.
Thank you for the opportunity, Mr Speaker.
Hon Haruna Iddrisu
Tamale South
Mr Speaker, let me thank you for the opportunity to contribute to the Statement ably made by Ms Doyoe on observing the International Women’s Day in Ghana, themed, “Accelerate Action for Affirmative Action”.
In commending her, I would like to recognise that as a country, we should appreciate the strides and the progress we have made. At least, as at today, Ghana has passed an Affirmative Action legislation. That is the best legal Mr Speaker, my second observation is for us to be sincere sometimes to some of the requests or demands we make even in this Chamber. Let us work with the 1992 Constitution in this Chamber. The Constitution says there shall be elections of Members of Parliament. It does not provide for how many women can be represented or would be represented. It provides for women, if they are desirous to go through the rigorous competitive elections.
Mr Speaker, I have heard people make reference to other countries, particularly in East Africa. Yes, it is true, that they have made tremendous progress in terms of women representation, because their constitutions provide for the appointment of women into those positions unlike in Ghana. In their Parliament, a certain representation is dedicated for women and the youth. Maybe we should provide for it in Ghana's Parliament. But that will require an amendment to the 1992 Constitution to say that even after we have gone through an election—maybe today we have 275 Members of Parliament, we can decide that the President appoints additional 25 women to Parliament. But that can only be done if we review the 1992 Constitution as it is today. Without doing that, they must go through elections.
Mr Speaker, we have heard comments on whether the President has appointed enough women or not. For instance, if one takes the current representation of Parliament, maybe there are 31 National Democratic Congress (NDC) Members of Parliament who are women and 10 on the other Side making it about 40 women—then, we say 50 plus one. I should recognise Mrs Abena Osei-Asare as the first woman to Chair the Public Accounts Committee (PAC). I am sure she would learn from the stride of the Rt Hon Alban Bagbin, Hon Albert KanDapaah, Hon Kwaku Agyemang-Manu and more importantly, Hon James Klutse Avedzi, the immediate past Chairman of the PAC.
But in Ghana, what we are interested in is not post-mortem, flawless examination of dead bodies—PAC waits until the mess is done and say they are correcting it, no. If they did their work well, nobody would go to a mortuary asking for a dead body. We should strengthen our internal systems so that the abuses of embezzlement, misappropriation and others are dealt with in a manner which is preventive. Every year—but I am digressing from Hon Doyoe’s Statement so let me come back to it. We have had Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo, Chief Justice Georgina Wood and now we have a woman as the current Chief Justice and undoubtedly, the firstever woman Vice President of the Republic
Mr Speaker, in fact, she reminds me that a woman's strength is not measured by her ability to endure, but by her courage to rise every time she falls; a quote I just found somewhere. Strong women do not wait for doors, they open their own. Some opportunities have been given to women in Parliament. We know the effort you and the Rt Hon Speaker are making to ensure that even in the Parliamentary Service, there are more women. I know what happens when you want to increase representation.
Mr Speaker, generally, we should be particular about how we strengthen and ensure more women representation in public service. The first is education; are we providing equal educational opportunities for them? Are we providing technical or vocational education? Are we providing adequately for their health needs? So, even in this Parliament, all the women here demand gender-sensitive budget allocations. In every Budget, we should pay particular attention to how much has been allocated to advance the cause of women. Then we know we are making meaningful contributions.
Mr Speaker, I commend her. I conclude by saying that, yes, Ghana should not lose sight of the fact that we have made tremendous progress since 1993. If you look at the quality of women who have served in our national public life, including even international organisations, whether the United Nations (UN) or World Health Organisation (WHO), many women have distinguished themselves.
Mr Speaker, with this, I thank you.
Hon Korkor Laurette Asante
Atiwa West
Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity given me to contribute to the Statement made by Hon Doyoe, the Joint Women's Caucus leader.
Mr Speaker, in recognising International Women's Day, it is not only about women's achievements, which we know we have done quite considerably well in Ghana and across the world. But it is also a reminder for us, as to the work to be done, which includes accelerating action to break the barriers that hinder the progression of women, women's empowerment and participation in all aspects of society. The World Economic Forum, the Global Gender Gap Report 2024, estimates that it will take 134 years to reach full gender parity. A hundred and thirty-four years, if we still maintain the rate of progress that we are doing today. That is roughly five generations. That is beyond the United Nations, 2030 Sustainable Development Goal. It is unacceptable to wait for five generations to achieve gender parity.
Mr Speaker, despite the extraordinary contributions that women have made in politics, education, business, economics, and what we have in between, women in especially marginalised communities continue to fight for equal rights and opportunities. However, here in Ghana, we have made quite a bold step. One of our most significant steps towards closing the gender gap is when we established the Affirmative Action (Gender Equity) Act, 2024, which mandates progressive gender representation in governance, public service, judiciary, security services, and politics. The Act provides a legal framework against which we will ensure that women are included in decisionmaking at all levels and it will include gender balance.
Mr Speaker, we must also, while implementing the Affirmative Action (Gender Equity) Act, 2024, hold our leaders accountable for their commitments to gender equality. It was a welcomed development when President John Mahama, at the launch of the NDC's manifesto, promised to have at least 30 per cent of his Cabinet as women. However, Ghanaians were disappointed when he failed to meet that promised target. I believe the Speaker, Rt Hon Alban Bagbin mentioned this a couple of days ago when they had an event here at Parliament House to celebrate International Women's Day. This is because, President Mahama has about only 10 per cent of females in his 19-Member Cabinet. That really needs to be looked at, because we were expecting more females. If we are going to talk the talk, we must walk as well.
We established the Affirmative Action (Gender Equity) Act, 2024, and so we must get it implemented. Another point that I would like to raise is also on something that is in the NDC's manifesto, which is establishing the Women's Bank. Yesterday, the Minister for Finance was here. He mentioned that they would establish the Women's Development Bank, with an allocation of about GH₵51.3 million. Now, the Bank of Ghana (BoG) in 2017, also established that the minimum capital for any bank to operate is GH₵400 million. So, this raises serious concerns about the feasibility and effectiveness of the initiative of this Women's Development Bank that President Mahama and the Minister for Finance came here to speak to.
Women would be very disappointed. If we are going to have a Women’s Bank, then we need to put the money where our mouth is and actually ensure that it is funded properly and it is guided by the guidelines of the Bank of Ghana so that women can actually take advantage of that.
Mr Speaker, this all serves as a reminder that words alone are not enough. Instead, we need concrete actions and real political strides to bridge the gender gap. If we are truly to accelerate action, which is the theme for this year’s International Women’s Day, then Ghana must not settle for token numbers: one woman here, two women as CEOs there, a couple of women in leadership; that is not good enough and that is not acceptable. We must commit to exceeding these benchmarks and ensure that our Parliament also reflects the full diversity and potential of our nation. Here in Parliament, we must make sure that in our Committees and other groups that we have women in there in leadership positions as Chairpersons or Ranking Members or Deputy Ranking Members and not just have a token.
Mr Speaker, as we stand together today, let us reaffirm our commitment to removing the barriers that prevent women from achieving their potential. Let us ensure that every girl has access to education, every woman is also free from violence and has the opportunity to participate fully in the economy of our society.
Mr Speaker, as we mark this significant occasion, I would like to extend my greetings and heartfelt appreciation to the hard-working women of Atiwa West in all the towns, the hardworking traders, farmers, nursing teachers who actually support our community, hold them together and contribute to building our nation. Their dedication and resilience are empowering and truly encouraging. In conclusion, I call upon my fellow lawmakers here, citizens and institutions in Ghana to take decisive steps to accelerate action in achieving true gender parity. Together, we can actually create a more just and equitable society where every woman and girl, regardless of their stand in society, has equal access to opportunity.
I am ready, Mr Speaker, to take this up. Are my Hon Colleagues in the House ready?
Hon Faustina Elikplim Akurugu
Dome-Kwabenya
Mr Speaker, thank you for this opportunity to contribute to the Statement delivered by Hon Comfort Doyoe Cudjoe.
Mr Speaker, today we join the global community in celebrating International Women’s Day. Today is a special day for all women so, we say ayekoo to them. This year’s theme is “Accelerate Action”. It is a call to action to accelerate gender parity, challenge stereotypes, and uplift the voices of women everywhere.
Mr Speaker, in Ghana, we have made significant strides in promoting gender equality but we are still behind. We still have a lot to do. I want to thank His Excellency President John Dramani Mahama for giving us a Vice President who represents us in Ghana. Mr Speaker, Her Excellency, Prof Jane Naana OpokuAgyemang is the Vice President of Ghana and, we say thank you to His Excellency for giving women this opportunity.
Mr Speaker, I was very glad when the Minister for Finance, yesterday, in reading the Budget Statement, allocated GH₵292.4 million to provide free sanitary pads for girls and women in Ghana and also allocated GH₵5.3 million as seed money to establish the Women’s Bank. This will provide empowerment and not just benefit women globally, but families and communities.
However, we still have work to do when it comes to women in Ghana. The girl-child education is important, and I pray and hope that the Minister for Education would be able to help us promote a lot of girls, especially in the rural areas, where we still have children who are not attending school, especially girls.
Mr Speaker, as we commemorate this day, let us celebrate the achievements we have made together as women. I want to thank you for this opportunity. Ma ye ti ye ti yɛ to ma to ma to all the women, yɛ ma wo ya, ayekoo, mo ne yↄ, miawe le dzi. Mawu neyram mia kata.
Hon Joana Gyan Cudjoe
Amenfi Central
Thank you, Mr Speaker. I know it is not easy when it comes to leadership of women. Most of the time in business and in politics, people believe that the role of a woman should always be less. It is about time we looked at women in certain positions when it comes to leadership in politics and also in business. Leadership is not about gender, it is about vision, courage, service, love and women have all these qualities. To the young girls out there, I say, dream big. They can be doctors, teachers or scientists and that is why H. E. Mr Mahama and our Vice President, H. E Prof Opoku-Agyemang said they are there to support women and to make sure that the women count a lot in Parliament.
Hon Ernestina Ofori Dangbey
Agona West
Thank you, Mr Speaker, for giving me the opportunity to also contribute to this august House on the Statement made by our Hon Leader, Comfort Doyoe Cudjoe. Mr Speaker, I must say, women are beautifully and wonderfully created, and so women are so special to this country.
Mr Speaker, Dr Kwegyir Aggrey once said, “if you educate a man, you educate an individual, but if you educate a woman, you educate a nation”. As women, when we are given leadership role, one can see that women perform wonderfully well as compared to our able men. I must say, women take good care of all management in terms of home management and the offices too.
Mr Speaker, women were created to also multiply so, when we put into consideration, when there is intercourse, a woman would take the seed and then nurture it, then, at the end of it all, produce a human being to the nation. I would say that a woman should never look down upon herself and believe in herself. If others are doing it, she must believe in herself that she can also do it. Thank you, Mr Speaker, for giving me the opportunity.
Hon Emelia Ankomah
Upper Denkyira East
Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity you have given me to contribute to the Statement made by our Leader, Hon Comfort Doyoe Cudjoe.
I would dwell my statement on the fact that women are ever ready to contribute and carry out whatever position they find themselves in effectively. Most of the time, the attacks on women make a lot of women withdraw. Let us consider how men lambast women on our radio and television landscapes whenever women want to enter into politics. When some of these things happen, women have no choice than to withdraw.
Then, they lose the confidence they had which enabled them to talk boldly. I want to seize this opportunity to advise every woman out there that in Ghana, we have a lot of women who have performed and have done excellently, so they should not be cowed, and they should not withdraw. They should all come boldly, learn from those who have performed excellently, and together, we would make it as women. Mr Speaker, thank you.
Hon Phillis Naa Koryoo Okunor
Awutu Senya East
Mr Speaker, thank you very much for this opportunity to contribute to the Statement made by our Leader, Hon Doyoe Cudjoe. Today is International Women’s Day, and I applaud every woman on the globe for this day.
Mr Speaker, it is not enough for us to always celebrate this day. I think as women, we should be able to champion certain policies that would help us achieve our purpose.
Mr Speaker, we may be happy today, we may be good, but the ordinary woman on the street out there is not happy, and if that ordinary woman on the street is not happy, then as women, we have no right to be happy. This is because as women, we are representatives of all the women out there, and we need to be there for one another.
It is difficult to know that a fellow woman on the street is going through a very difficult time, and we cannot help. It is not enough celebrating International Women’s Day, but it is for us to hold each other’s hands. Let us go up together. Let us pull each other together. Let us make the women succeed. For women, I do not think that it is enough for us to think that the world would be at our feet.
No, it is for us to be in the world and make the world work for us. Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity.
Hon Rachel Amma Owusuah
Dormaa East
Mr Speaker, thank you for giving me the opportunity to contribute to this year’s International Women’s Day with the theme, “Accelerate Action”.
Let me also take the opportunity to thank our Leader, Hon Doyoe Cudjoe, for the Statement given. I therefore, take this opportunity to also thank all women, especially when it comes to caring for the sick and the aged. That reminds me of our old and first nurse named Florence Nightingale, who was also named the Lady with the Lamp. Back to the history of Shiphrah and Puah, they were also midwives.
Upon that, we have got many midwives in the country caring for our pregnant women, and when it comes to their delivery, these midwives assist them to have safe deliveries. Let me take this opportunity to remind our women who are farmers, especially at Dormaa East, that they have been doing a lot to serve the country and the community when it comes to feeding. Again, I want to express my sincere thanks to mothers who are single parents for caring for their children and making them better through education.
I, therefore, congratulate all women for assisting husbands and families when it comes to the care of our children
Let me take this opportunity as well to congratulate all women, especially the old ladies who have been taking care of the aged and the sick people. More power to our elbows as women. Congratulations! I say ayekoo to all women. Not forgetting, before a woman can do something better or good, we still need the support of the Government, our husbands and our brothers.
With their support, women can do better. Let me take this opportunity to thank the people of Dormaa East. I say bravo to everybody. Mr Speaker, thank you.
Hon Lawrencia Dziwornu
Akuapem South
Mr Speaker, thank you for giving me the opportunity to clear my throat on this Floor. And also, I want to thank our Leader, Hon Comfort Doyoe Cudjoe, for the Statement ably made to commemorate the International Women’s Day.
Mr Speaker, we have made significant strides in our space for women to be able to make it to this point, but the pace at which we are going or moving is really a tortoise’s pace. And if we are looking to achieve gender parity, then, we need to accelerate action now.
Mr Speaker, I want to use this opportunity to thank the people of Akuapem South for entrusting me with their mandate as the second woman from the Constituency to hold this position, which was a legacy held by the late Vida Amaadi Yeboah, whose initiative, through the Forum of African Women Educationalists (FAWE), empowered a lot of girls to be able to be where we are today.
So, Mr Speaker, I also want to appeal to this august House that we should increase the rate of women representation that we have in this Parliament. We should increase it to at least 30 per cent, just as Rwanda has been able to do. This will ensure that there are certain seats that are reserved for women, so that we can achieve this gender parity at the rate that it ought to be. Just as our Hon Member, the Minister for Education, elicited in his earlier comments, so that we can have more women to represent us.
Mr Speaker, on this note, I would also plead with this august House that we should be able to accelerate action so that we can be part of the International Parliamentary Union (IPU) by 2028, so that we would not be observers. Because based on their recommendation, we need about 30 per cent representation of women in each Parliament, so that we can be taken very seriously at that Union.
So, Mr Speaker, with these few words, I want to congratulate all women in this country and globally for the great strides we have made in the political space and in other leadership roles.
Mr Speaker, I also want to use this opportunity to congratulate the women and the good people in Akuapem South for the very great contributions that they have made in the farming and market sectors. As a woman and a daughter of a market woman, I want to commend their efforts and the contributions that they are making to bring Ghana to the point we are today.
Thank you very much, Mr Speaker, for this great opportunity.
Hon Adelaide Ntim
Nsuta/Kwaman Beposo
Thank you, Mr Speaker, for this great opportunity.
Mr Speaker, women are so special in the world, especially women who are working and also nursing as well. I want to take this opportunity to congratulate women all over the world, especially in this Parliament. This is because we exercise a lot of patience when we go to our constituency, and we have a lot of schedules when we come to work as well. So, we have so many things to do.
Mr Speaker, as I stand here, I am very tired because I went to the constituency this weekend, but because we are caring—The constituents also like the women a lot. So, I would say thank you and ayekoo to all women in the world. Thank you, Mr Speaker, for this great opportunity.
Hon Millicent Yeboah Amankwah
Sunyani West
Thank you, Mr Speaker, for giving me the opportunity to contribute to the International Women’s Day.
Mr Speaker, I am humbly honoured to be in this Chamber as we celebrate the International Women’s Day in the year 2025. All because I will be part of the decision-making to contribute and support young women. There is a saying that many are called but few are chosen. Where do we start this from? There is a need for us to encourage ourselves and by encouraging ourselves, we need to find the root cause and solution to this.
There have been years that women have been deprived the opportunity by hating ourselves; why? It is because there is a saying that women are their own enemies, which I do not believe in because it was a society that has discussed this. It was a conversation someone started, and we can end that by pulling each other with love, care, compassion and support. Now, we need to start from the home; we need to conscientise the mind of the little girl with self-esteem, confidence and selfactualisation.
Then we move to the youth, women in leadership, women that need mentorship; let us get closer to our young ones. A
gain, as leaders, getting the opportunity to lead in so many aspects and sectors of life—Women in politics, business and in ministry, let us start this course. I am super happy because this year is to accelerate action. We are moving quickly, and I pledge to be part, start and join the army to rise and to accelerate this action of women in equity and equality. I will pledge and encourage the House to start—
Within our own communities, we have a lot of women there. Let us start from our doorsteps, and I believe, with togetherness, we would be able to achieve whatever we envisage.
Mr Speaker, lastly, as a Member of Parliament for Sunyani West, I would make sure that we reform any policies needed to ensure that we execute this. I say bravo to every woman from the house, markets, farm, Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) and even leaders globally, that we appreciate their fight, and we would continue to hold ourselves in high esteem. Congratulations to every woman once again! Thank you, Mr Speaker.
Hon Laadi Ayii Ayamba
Pusiga
Thank you, Mr Speaker, for the opportunity to contribute to the Statement ably made by our Leader, Hon Comfort Doyoe Cudjoe.
Let me also congratulate all the women in this House for making sure that, at least, if for nothing at all, we presented ourselves, worked hard, won the elections, and we are here competing with the men. Congratulations to us!
Mr Speaker, it is very interesting to note that it is quite difficult. It has been not less than 30 years down the line. Ever since the declaration of the Beijing Conference was made, it has been 30 years down the line, and I can give thanks and praises to Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings who led this particular activity and made sure that when she came back to Ghana, some of us were deeply involved in the 31st December Women’s Movement. That has moved us to this level, and we thank her very much. We are very grateful, and we appreciate it.
Mr Speaker, I would move on to thank our President for ensuring that we have the first female Vice President, Professor Naana Jane Opoku- Agyemang. Mr Speaker, she is competent; she is determined; she has knowledge and she is of substance. I am saying these things because many a time, these are some of the things that the men use to pull us down. I want to tell every woman in Ghana and every woman in Pusiga that we are competent, and what the men can do, the women can do it even better.
Mr Speaker, let me thank some of the past and present women who have, at least, kept the flame on.
I wish to thank and congratulate Hon Cecilia Johnson, who was the first female Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, and I will go on to thank my own Sister, Hajia Alima Mahama, who was also a Minister for Local Government and Rural Development. My late Sister, Hon Hawa Yakubu, was a very big inspiration to me. She did her best. She is from Pusiga. I would also congratulate Hajia Fati Seidu who was also a Member of Parliament. Mr Speaker, these are women who were produced by Pusiga, so I say a very big thank you to the people of Pusiga for ensuring and seeing to it that, yes, we women can, and we are actually doing our best.
Mr Speaker, I am not playing politics; I am saying it as it is, and I want any Government, whichever Government, even any government that is not yet born or has never come to being, to continue to give support to women. Each and every one of us, whether a man or a woman, was born by a woman. If you have no wife, you have a sister. If you have no sister, you have an aunt. If you have no aunt, you have a mother. None of us here can run away from a woman. Why do we think that women have that weakness? When a woman carried you in her womb for nine months, gave birth to you, took care of you, and yet, today, you can think that the woman cannot do anything better. I believe that we need to wake up from the call.
Mr Speaker, I wish to state the President’s support in ensuring that an amount of GH₵293 million has been made available for the purchase of sanitary pads to be distributed to girls in schools. Whichever girl it is that will benefit from this will say a very big thank you [Speaks in a local language] to the President. This is because there are some who have to stop school to sell before they are able to buy sanitary pads, and we all know that menstruation is not just that we want it. It is a need and so we need that support, and we are not equal, so that support is very important.
The President also made available a seed amount of GH₵5.3 million for the Women’s Bank and this is not going to those of us maybe who are at this level. It is going to help the woman at the grassroots, who needs maybe only GH₵200.00 to buy some salt and pepper or groundnut to sell. We thank you, Mr President, and we pray that all other successive Governments would emulate this and continue to support women.
Mr Speaker, let me thank you and our substantive Speaker for enabling us to pass the Affirmative Action (Gender Equity) Act, 2024, (ACT 1121).
Mr Speaker, we are very grateful. Last but not least, let us enforce it. We should not just sit and say we have a Bill or an Act that has been passed. If the Act has been passed and we do not make good use of it, it will be of no use. We should not let it lie on the shelves while we say we have an Act. That 30 per cent, let us make sure that it works for all of us.
I thank you very much, Mr Speaker, for the five minutes
Hon Dominic Bingab Aduna Nitiwul
Bimbilla
Mr Speaker, thank you very much.
Mr Speaker, first of all, let me thank the maker of the Statement, our First Deputy Majority Whip, who is a longtime Member of Parliament here, for bringing this Statement to commemorate the International Women’s Day.
Mr Speaker, it is important for us, as men, to eulogise the women. It is important for us to let the world know, especially in Ghana here, the importance of women in our lives, our society, and the role that women play. It is not for nothing that God himself or God herself, I do not want to be so manly to say himself only, but God decided that a man needed a companion—we, those who are Christians—and created a woman to become a companion. It only shows that without a woman, it is very difficult for the men alone to inhabit this world. We have to accept that fact.
Mr Speaker, it is important for us first to congratulate the women who have made it to this House, 40 of them. It is very difficult to win an election. It is very difficult to stand, campaign, and win an election and a lot of these women actually defeated men to be here. So, let us congratulate them first, and say that other women should take inspiration from what they have done, so that in the next Parliament, instead of 40, we can have 80 to 100 women.
Then that is where we are going to start from because if we keep the numbers at 40 and we do not project to at least, half of the Members here, then we are not doing ourselves any good. I do not have a problem giving my seat to a woman, but she has to beat me; she has to compete. It is as simple as that.
Mr Speaker, I want to say that let every man, whether married or unmarried, because they came from the womb of a woman and they know what has happened in their homes, and especially every husband, experience the absence of his wife for just one week, seven days, with children; then they would understand.
No, I do not want to have a situation where we have servants, so the man should just take care of that household for just two days without his wife, then they can understand the importance of women. When one child is kicking against his stomach, another is running, he has to clean the children up, dress them, and take them to school, then he would understand that without the woman, there is no home. He would understand that without the woman, he will never call something a home.
He will need a woman, and so people who say, what does a woman bring to the table? Why? What is she doing? I can tell them that the women work. If we were to apportion time by percentages, the women work 60 to 70 per cent of what happens in the house, and that is a fact. Even in most of our traditional homes, the men just provide the food and then go and relax. The women are those who look for the water. The women are those who will cook. The women are those who will clean.
The women are those who will clean up the place. They take care of virtually everything and we just enjoy ourselves. We call ourselves “alpha men”. If we go to the animal kingdom, the lion’s kingdom, and if we know the behavior of an alpha male, then we would understand what it is.
If one goes to the animal kingdom, the lion’s kingdom—If we know the behaviour of an alpha man, then we would understand what it is. So, women are more important.
Mr Speaker, we must eulogise women and celebrate them today. In fact, it was on Saturday. I do not know how many of us, Mr Speaker, bought a gift for our wives and our, well, I would say our girlfriends, those who are not married. But one must have a girlfriend before he marries. So, some people obviously have girlfriends. Some people have wives, and some people are cohabiting. I do not know why they are cohabiting, but some people are cohabiting.
But whatever the case, how many of us remembered that Saturday was women’s day, and bought something for our wives? I think we are virtually moving away from that day and celebrating Valentine’s Day; they call it Love Day. But I think that we should look at the International Women’s Day and make it a big issue for us because, Mr Speaker, Ghanaian women are very hard working. About 60 per cent of the small businesses in Ghana are owned by women. And without the women contributing to that, our economy will suffer. If the women stop working today, we are going to have a crash economy.
Because a lot of the small businesses, from Makola to Tamale Market, to Elubo Market and Zamrama Market, the women are the ones doing the petty trading. We may not see it, but I can tell you, Mr Speaker, that what they do—And if one goes to the communities or villages and sees what the women do, sometimes it is frightening. I think that the women should look at it. One goes to a community, where a man is coming from the farm with his wife who is pregnant.
She would be carrying another child at the back and holding another one, but the man is holding the cutlass and following, and she would be carrying something on her head. It is happening every day. Or the man just rides his motorbike or bicycle and goes home. The women will go home, and if they do not have a helper, they will then have to go to the stream or the borehole to fetch water. I am telling you what happens in the villages because I am from one.
She fetches water, goes to give the man. The man will bathe, and come and sit down again. Now she has to then start cooking. She finishes the cooking, cleans the pots, sweeps and mops up the place. The next day, by 5 o’clock, she is up again to do a similar thing. So, Mr Speaker, I can say—Which one?—
Mr Speaker, the Hon Member says I have forgotten what happens between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. where he would have to wake her up and be disturbing her. When she says she is tired, then she is beaten. But it is not their fault. The truth is that without the women doing what they do, the men will have difficulty. Yes, it is true that some men, including myself, still do not understand the role of women in our lives and the society and so, think that they are either disturbing or giving us headache.
But I can say that women are so important in society. But let us come to leadership. Are we giving women enough and providing them enough to give them leadership in Ghana? Are we? Today, women are doing very well in school, even beating men in schools. So, it is not the issue of women not knowing or women not being clever enough; they are as clever as the men. But are we giving them enough advantages to be able to excel in leadership? Sometimes, they say women are their own enemy. If women were to decide today that they are going to vote for only woman, I do not think we will have any man sitting in this Chamber. And that is a fact, because they are more than us.
But maybe because of lack of trust, they will vote for the man and leave that woman. The truth of the matter is that men must make conscious effort to make sure that the Affirmative Action (Gender Equity) Act, 2024 is implemented one by one. And as Chairman of the Committee on Assurances, I am going to checkmate the President to see step by step—Yes, step by step, how he is implementing it. From the 30 per cent promise that he has given, I will checkmate it step by step.
Because it is important, Mr Speaker, that we do that. In some countries, they use proportional representation to cure the aspect of giving women—So if they have 200-Member parliament, they can make proportional representation to ensure that at least half of the people are women.
Rwanda is doing it, Uganda is doing it, and a few other places are doing it. Ghana, unfortunately, have the situation whereby everybody goes for an election. So the only thing we can use to cure is appointments. How many of the women here have been appointed? Are we meeting the quota? It may not be all Ministers, but there are other places such as boards that the President has to use to be able to do that. There are several places that the President has to use, and he has to do it. It does not matter which Government wins, but any Government that wins, that Government must ensure that women are represented and represented well.
Mr Speaker, thank you very much.
Hon Thomas Worlanyo Tsekpo
Hohoe
Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. It is good to appreciate our mothers and women in Ghana, especially Ghana’s Parliament.
I say ayekoo to them. Let me say another ayekoo to the women in Hohoe Constituency—It is not about campaign, just to appreciate them. I know it has not been easy for women to compete in our society, the Ghanaian society, at the same level with men. Whatever they do, it is about competition with us, the men, and looking at what they go through daily to be in that competition and still win, every day in the morning, we have to salute our women before even taking our bath.
Remembering my mother and what she went through after our father left us, sometimes, it is something else. We just have to appreciate them. I want to appreciate three people, that is three women.
Mr Speaker, Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings. Growing up, there was this song that we heard in our homes by the 31st December Women’s Movement. The 31st December Women’s Movement, formed by Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, this is a song that we grew up singing in our various homes without understanding until recently. What it simply means is that the men in Ghana should stay home so that our women can also go out and learn how to “shoot”.
And this is a message that we did not understand then, but it is a message that resonated with the women. They stood up and fought for what they thought they could fight for. And today, all of us here are very proud of that woman.
Our current First Lady did a lot. In fact, she spoke to me about it, that mother-child death is something that has to be zero. That is why even in opposition, Mr Speaker, she goes around building maternity wards and hospitals, which I benefited before I became a Member of Parliament. We need to appreciate her for holding women in high esteem. Our current Vice President, this is to show the world that NDC, we do not just appreciate women by mouth. We appointed, in fact, the first female Vice President. NPP has never done that before, but we have done it
The people of Ghana have supported us to present the first female Vice President to the Republic of Ghana. It is something that we should all be appreciative of. We want to thank our women. We want to thank our mothers for sacrificing all they have for us to be who we are today. Thank you, Mr Speaker.
Hon Davis Ansah Opoku
Mpraeso
Mr Speaker, I just wanted to salute our wonderful women in this House, especially hearing from Hon Doyoe Cudjoe. Hon Doyoe, what we are saying is that we love you. Your Statement was nice
Hon Patricia Appiagyei
Asokwa
Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to contribute towards the Statement ably made by my Hon Chairperson of the Women Caucus, and I must commend her highly for initiating this Statement, because it is something that is very dear to my heart. But before I go on to make my side of the contribution, I would like to acknowledge the roles that have been played by our numerous First Ladies in this country.
Mr Speaker, in celebrating the women, I would like to commend them, for which our own Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings was the first to participate in the Beijing Conference and then to undertake the pursuit of the women’s agenda. There is something that she said which I always want us to remind ourselves.
One statement that she made, and we have never forgotten about, is that, “We must be bold. Be bold.” We also commend our former heads of states’ wives, and First Ladies, those who have passed on and those who are living at this point in time. It is a role that is very difficult, and I must tell you that if we celebrate a day where we are eulogising women, we should never forget our First Ladies.
Because even given a role as a leader anywhere, we can attest to the fact, especially the men, the roles that are played by their spouses. It is something that we cannot ignore. So I take this opportunity to commend them highly, and in doing so, I also take this opportunity to commend our four main women Parliamentarians who have served for their fourth term in Parliament. It is not easy, first, to ensure that you de-sit a man and secondly, to be able to withstand all the pressures, including what we even face domestically.
Mr Speaker, a number of Statements have been made to underscore the point of the importance of women in our society, and it goes without saying that if we are celebrating a day like this, and the theme is “Accelerate Action”, it is important that we look at most of the factors that can help us accelerate the action of achieving the equality that we want. What are we talking about?
I like the contribution made by the Hon Minister for Education, Alhaji Haruna Iddrisu, emphasising the need for us to look at our Constitution and the need to review the Constitution. Much as I agree with him on this point, I would like to also emphasise that all of us here have a role to play. We are the representatives of the people out there. Luckily, we have passed a Legislative Instrument in the name of Affirmative Action (Gender Equality) Act, 2024 (Act 1121). What is going to be our role to ensure that we educate, as was his bid? We need to educate people to accept the very existence of women, not as a superior being or a lesser being, but as partners with our male counterparts. So if we are in this Parliament and we have the Affirmative Action Act, it behoves on each and every individual here to do the education.
Mr Speaker, I am happy that we invited the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection here to know exactly what steps or the strategies she is adopting to ensure the implementation of the Affirmative Action Act. I think she has given a number of steps, and we have to pay particular attention to that and ensure that the implementation will go on smoothly without any hitches.
Mr Speaker, I would like to state that on the day that H. E. the President came to give the Message on the State of the Nation, he made a specific statement, which personally I felt was an excuse to exonerate himself from not being able to achieve the required percentage for the inclusion of women in the appointments he offered. He then mentioned specifically that in the case of even the local governance, he is finding it difficult to find the right women to occupy those positions, and I would like to plead with our President to make a deliberate effort for people to search each district, and he will be able to identify a capable woman who can occupy that seat, and that 30 per cent will be achieved. I do not think we have put our minds to ways of ensuring that we identify the right people to occupy the spaces. We are only giving excuses for what we feel might be a difficult task to undertake.
Mr Speaker, I feel that we have a number of barriers that we need to break. It is important that as Parliament–not only for the sake of the women, or the responsibility does not lie only with the women, but men as well–we are sure of what is happening and ensure the implementation of the Affirmative Action Act. We need to engage Members of Parliament, to understand and then carry this one through to our various constituencies and create awareness. That awareness-creation is very important, and then we can educate and let people know some of the things that we do that would not help us identify the right people, because the theme is “Accelerate Action”, and it is each and every one over here playing his or her role. And we can even identify one woman to do something. If we look at the multiplier’s effect, it would definitely help with the process.
Mr Speaker, I want to congratulate everybody who appreciates the role that women have played. Everybody who does not think that pursuing gender or women affairs is only being a feminist, but thinking through what the future of our female children, our female grandchildren, and ensuring that they become part of the leadership of the country.
Mr Speaker, I realise that you are in a rush, so what I would say is that with these few words, I am adding my voice to congratulate all women and the achievements they have made so far, especially our new female Members of Parliament who have unseated the men to be here to contribute their quota towards the achievement of gender equality.
Thank you very much.
Hon George Kweku Ricketts-Hagan
Cape Coast South
Mr Speaker, I know you are pressed for time, but I want to take this opportunity to say a few words to the Statement ably made by Hon Comfort Doyoe Cudjoe.
I would take the opportunity to also congratulate all women for today. Women play a very important role in this nation and around the world. A statement was made by one famous Ghanaian, Dr Kwegyir Aggrey that, “if you educate a man, you educate an individual, but if you educate a woman, you educate a nation.”
Mr Speaker, this statement was made about 125 years ago. It is ironic that we have a Government statistician here, but I wonder how much research Dr Aggrey had done to come to that conclusion that if one educates a woman, they have actually educated a nation. If that statement were to be made today, we would say that if we educate a woman, we have probably educated a continent.
Mr Speaker, women play a very important role; a lot of decisions that are made by men are actually made by women. When they say women control the world, women actually control the world. When we hear people say that a certain man was making a decision that they think was not right, they would say that they are sure it was his wife who advised him to make that decision.
So, a lot of decisions are being made by women, so we should celebrate our women. Affirmative Action is not an event; it is something that we should do progressively. I thank His Excellency the President for choosing a female as his partner to become the Vice President of the Republic of Ghana, and he is appointing women to occupy positions. In the future, we should be looking at having women not only in political circles, but also in boardrooms and executive positions. It is not just appointing them to those positions, but actually supporting them to keep them there.
Mr Speaker, I congratulate all women today, and I wish them a very fruitful and a very good day. Thank you.
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