By Vivian Amoah
The Women’s Manifesto Coalition has held a forum in Accra on the status of Women in Ghana to mark its 20th anniversary.
Mrs. Jackline Kyei-Baffour, Program Manager for Abantu for Development, gave an introduction, highlighting the manifesto’s history and significance. She emphasized the collective effort to produce the historic blueprint, influenced by the 1995 Beijing Conference and the growth of democracy in Ghana.
The manifesto aimed to address deeply entrenched socio-cultural inequalities and disparities, including limited participation of women in politics, lack of access to resources, and harmful cultural practices.
Despite notable achievements, such as the passage of the Affirmative Action Gender Equity Law and increased visibility of women in leadership positions, challenges persist.
The Coalition acknowledged the relative advances made in the past 20 years but also noted the rollback of achievements and new emerging issues creating new layers of inequality. To maintain the manifesto’s relevance, the coalition is undertaking a review process to incorporate emerging issues and evaluate unmet deadlines.
The event celebrated the progress made and demanded more robust political will to bring about change and transformation. The passage of the Affirmative Action Gender Equity Law was seen as a catalyst for change, and the coalition called for the satisfactory inclusion of diverse experiences in democratic ways, defining genuine and equal ownership as demanded in the manifesto.
