By Belinda Nketia
The Member of Parliament for Sunyani West, Hon. Millicent Yeboah Amankwah today February 20 2025, on the World Day for Social Justice delivered an address on the floor of the Parliament of Ghana.
In her speech, Hon. Amankwah highlighted the disproportionate impact of injustice on women and the urgent need to tackle issues such as child marriage and low female representation in Parliament. “Injustice affects mostly women,” she began, emphasizing that it is crucial for the nation to focus on areas where gender equality and women’s rights need significant improvement.
Drawing attention to the disturbing prevalence of child marriage in rural areas, the MP stated that in some regions of Ghana and across Africa, one in five girls are forced into early marriages, a practice that undermines the rights and future of young women and called for collective action to end this harmful tradition.
The MP also turned the spotlight on the critical issue of women’s representation in Parliament, highlighting that women make up only 14.5% of the seats in Ghana’s legislature, a statistic she argued is detrimental to the country’s growth and progress. “We are barely 14.5%, and this also hinders the growth of the country,” she said.
Drawing a comparison with Rwanda, where women occupy over 53% of parliamentary seats, Hon. Amankwah emphasized the positive correlation between high female representation in Parliament and economic development. “No wonder there is growth in their economy,” she remarked.
The MP also raised concerns about the numerous cases of gender-based violence and human rights violations reported to the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU), urging the government and relevant stakeholders to pay closer attention to these issues. “There are thousands of issues in relation to gender and human rights, and we need to pay close attention to them,” she stated.
Hon. Amankwah did not stop at gender equality but also highlighted critical challenges in healthcare and education that disproportionately affect women. She pointed out the inadequacies of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), which struggles with funding, leaving low-income families, especially women, without proper access to healthcare services. In education, she noted the shortage of teachers in rural areas, a problem that limits the opportunities available to young girls and boys in these regions.
In closing, Hon. Amankwah called for a more concerted effort from lawmakers to address issues of social justice, particularly for women and marginalized groups. “With these and many more, we can have a better position when it comes to social justice,” she concluded.
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