Ghana’s Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection convened a capacity-building workshop in Accra on Thursday, September 17, 2026, tasking female media practitioners with driving public education, monitoring compliance, and holding institutions accountable under the newly enacted Affirmative Action (Gender Equity) Act, 2024 (Act 1121).
Shifting From Legislative Advocacy to Implementation Accountability
According to the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, the central challenge has transitioned from securing the legislation on paper to ensuring that it produces measurable results in everyday civic and political life. Addressing attendees at the capital workshop, the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, emphasized that the ultimate measure of success will be tangible institutional change rather than symbolic compliance. The workshop held last Thursday aimed at enhancing participants’ understanding of the provisions of the Act, strengthen their capacity to communicate gender equity issues effectively, promote accurate, balanced and gender equity issues effectively and promote accurate, balanced reporting on the implementation of the Act.
I just want you to know that you have taken on a responsibility which is at the heart of everything we do, which is at the centre of everything we do,
she said. According to her, the passage of the law had shifted the focus from advocacy for affirmative action legislation to ensuring that the law was effectively implemented and produced results.
The issue of affirmative action, like many laws and policies we are having in the ministry, has moved from advocating for a law to the law being there and seeing to its effective implementation,
she said. What we want to see is the impact.
Dr Lartey said the workshop was organised deliberately to bring women in the media into the implementation process and encourage them to champion the cause of greater representation of women in leadership. She said the issue should not be seen as one concerning women alone, but as a national development matter requiring the involvement of men and other stakeholders.
It is not about an individual, it is not about a group of people, it is not about one of the sexes, it is about the nation,
she said. It is about the country Ghana that is dear to us. If two sexes make up the nation, we cannot grow or develop with just one sex being at the helm of our affairs.
Dr Lartey said the Ministry wanted the media to help bring the implementation process forward.
We want to see its impact. It is an opportunity to see more women in leadership. We need to speak on the issues needed to make this happen. It is not about one of the sexes, not about an individual but about the development of the nation
, she added.
Mobilizing Female Journalists as Frontline Watchdogs
To bridge the gap between policy and practice, the Ministry specifically targeted women in the media for this capacity-building initiative. The Chief Director of the ministry, Marian W.A Kpapkah (PhD), in her welcome address, called for discussions on the barriers which prevented the attainment of equity as required by the law. The Head of the Gender Equity Committee Secretariat of the ministry, Vera Karikari Bediako, gave a presentation on the Act. Panel discussions during the workshop featured prominent media figures, including The Mirror Editor Doreen Hammond, TV3 journalist Sarah Apenkroh, and gender advocate Selikem Acolatse Apaloo, who served as panellists on the topic Beyond the headlines: Female media practitioners’ role in implementing the Act to drive accountability and institutional change
.
Civil Society Calls for Grassroots Outreach and Enforceable Targets
Co-founder of On This Side, Amtu Akumfi-Ameyaw, called for stronger implementation of Ghana’s Affirmative Action (Gender Equity) Act, saying the passage of the law must translate into measurable changes in women’s representation and participation. Speaking on Asaase Radio’s Townhall Talk on Friday (18 September), she said Ghana had made progress by passing the legislation but warned that the effectiveness of the law would ultimately depend on how institutions implement and enforce it. Government publications state that the law seeks to progressively increase women’s representation in decision-making, with a 30% target for 2024–2026. Akumfi-Ameyaw said government institutions should lead by example by ensuring that their appointments, employment practices and decision-making structures reflect the objectives of the legislation.
It’s very normal as Ghana that we have all the very nice and beautiful policies. But when we get to the time of implementation, we are lagging behind,
she said. She said the law provides an important basis for holding institutions accountable, but argued that citizens also need to understand its provisions. According to her, there has not been sufficient public education about the law and how ordinary citizens can benefit from it. She said gender activists and civil society organisations may be familiar with the legislation because of their work, but the same cannot necessarily be said about young women and people in communities across the country.
How are you going to walk into a random community and then ask a 20-year-old girl that has never heard of the Affirmative Action law, what does it say, how does this relate to you?
she asked. Akumfi-Ameyaw therefore called on the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection and other relevant institutions to intensify public education on the legislation. She said awareness must extend beyond Accra and professional circles to communities where women and girls may not have direct access to information.
Navigating the Constraints of the Electoral Calendar
A recurring theme throughout the discussions was the vulnerability of women within elected political structures, particularly at the local government and parliamentary levels. Minister Lartey pointed out that missed opportunities in the political space are punishing because elections operate on periods within which elections take place. While executive appointments offer a mechanism for elevating women into leadership positions, elected office relies on the cyclical nature of democratic voting. As the Gender Ministry continues its rollout of sensitisation activities alongside its Gender Equity Committee Secretariat, the success of Act 1121 will ultimately rest on whether institutional enforcement matches the rhetoric of reform.
