President John Dramani Mahama has predicted that a woman will, in the “very near future,” ascend to the presidential seat in Ghana.
He said the country has made significant progress in mainstreaming gender across national development policies, which has resulted in the historic election of Ghana’s first female Vice President and the appointment of women to leadership positions in government, the judiciary, the security services, and key national institutions.
“I am confident that, in the very near future, our women will break the glass ceiling and that a woman will be president of the Republic of Ghana,” he stated.
President Mahama made this projection when he addressed the Global Leaders’ Meeting on Women in Beijing, China, on Monday.
The meeting offered an invaluable opportunity to reaffirm global commitment to advancing the rights of women and girls and to assess progress made under the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.
According to President Mahama, Ghana’s dedication to gender parity is reflected in robust institutional reforms and legal frameworks designed to protect the rights of women and girls.
He said critical agencies, including the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit, the Domestic Violence Secretariat, and the specialised Domestic Violence Courts, have been strengthened with sustained budgetary allocations to enhance their capacity to deliver justice, protection, and social support to survivors of gender-based violence.
Several social protection programmes that directly benefit women and girls—such as the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) initiative, the School Feeding Programme, nationwide distribution of free sanitary pads for schoolgirls, and free tertiary education for persons with disability—have been expanded to reach a wider population.
These interventions, he noted, are anchored in a strong legal and policy framework.
As a result, several key instruments, including the National Gender Policy (2025–2034), the Ghana National Social Protection Act, the Domestic Violence Act, the Human Trafficking Act, and the Justice for Children Policy, have been enacted or revised to address challenges confronting women and girls.
He further cited the recently passed Affirmative Action (Gender Equity) Act, 2024, which mandates a minimum of 30 per cent female representation in public appointments by the end of 2026, 35 per cent by 2028, and 50 per cent by 2030, as another progressive step towards giving women a seat at the highest decision-making table.
“To further empower women economically, Ghana is establishing a Women’s Development Bank to provide low-interest loans, financial literacy training, and business development support to our women entrepreneurs.
“This initiative aims to promote financial inclusion and create more opportunities for women across all sectors of our economy,” he explained.
He also observed that the global order is changing rapidly and threatens to reverse the gains made under the Millennium Development Goals and the ongoing Sustainable Development Goals.
BY JULIUS YAO PETETSI
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