Ghana has significantly advanced gender equality and women’s empowerment in recent years. In defending their rights and requesting equal chances in society, Ghanaian women have displayed tremendous grit and tenacity. Women now have access to political representation, healthcare, and education thanks to Ghana’s efforts to empower women.
Education is one method that women’s empowerment can aid in the development of Ghana. Making sure that girls and women have access to high-quality educational opportunities at all levels is part of it. Ghana has come a long way in terms of educating women.
The Ghanaian government has been striving to raise the number of females enrolled in school in collaboration with other stakeholders, including NGOs. In primary and secondary schools today, the enrollment of girls is almost equal to that of boys.
Women are empowered by education in many different ways. They may acquire information, broaden their knowledge, and strengthen their critical thinking abilities, which will increase their engagement in STEM and the workforce.
Additionally, it can assist them in maintaining their health and assisting them in making better decisions regarding their own and their children’s lives, such as family planning or obtaining healthcare.
Due to the Ghanaian Constitution’s affirmative action provisions in the political arena, there have been some notable changes in the representation of women in politics. The percentage of women in the Ghanaian parliament has climbed from 0% to roughly 14% since 1992, meeting the African Union’s goal.
Barbara Asher Ayisi and Shirley Ayorkor Botchway, two women who rose to top diplomatic positions in Ghana recently, did so on an equal footing. Women continue to be severely underrepresented in political leadership positions globally, despite the significance of establishing gender parity in politics being widely acknowledged.
This is especially true in underdeveloped nations like Ghana, where women continue to encounter considerable obstacles when trying to achieve political power.
Many organizations, governments, and members of the civil society have worked to advance the political representation of women in order to address this issue. Affirmative action laws that reserve a specific proportion of political seats for women have been one tactic. For instance, a 1992 constitutional clause in Ghana requires at least 40% of the members of local government assemblies to be female.
Programs for women’s political leadership have also been put in place to educate and prepare women to run for office and support laws that support gender equality and women’s concerns. These initiatives can aid in developing the political awareness and leadership abilities of women while also giving them networking possibilities.
It is significant to underline that removing the underlying structural obstacles that hinder women from participating in politics in the first place is necessary to increase the representation of women in that field.
This entails addressing bias and discrimination in political culture as well as the social, economic, and legal obstacles that keep women from accessing chances for education and work.
Despite this, the nation has faced difficulties in advancing gender equality. The Domestic Violence Act 732, which made several types of domestic violence crimes in 2007, is only one example of the substantial efforts the government of Ghana has made to advance gender equality in the nation.
Despite the difficulties Africa is currently having achieving gender parity, Ghanaian women have been among the most driven to fight for their rights.
The advancement of women’s socioeconomic standing is another obstacle to human empowerment. Women’s socioeconomic situation has been worked on, starting with easier access to education.
In Ghana, female enrollment in primary schools is currently 94.67% higher than that of males, while female enrollment in secondary and tertiary institutions now accounts for 53% of all enrollments.
The Increment has been hailed as a major win in Ghana’s ongoing fight for universal access to education. By giving them equal opportunities in the workplace, women can increase their economic power and improve their socioeconomic condition.
Giving women equal chances in the job, equitable access to financing options, and training and growth in business skills are necessary for their socioeconomic empowerment. These adjustments provide women the power to drive their own economic development.
As a result, having more women in leadership positions encourages female mentoring opportunities and plays a crucial thematic role in building inclusive policies.
The Ghanaian government is promoting women’s health through Healthcare for Women. Ghana began a massive campaign to rid women of vaginal trichomoniasis in 2020.
The program encourages healthy sexual and reproductive behaviors with the goal of empowering women. This means that over the years, Ghana has significantly improved in terms of lowering maternal mortality.
Women in the nation have access to maternal healthcare under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS). According to research, the NHIS protected women from financial ruin while providing them with necessary treatment.
In many spheres of society, including the government, women are becoming more powerful. Leading banks in Ghana, for instance, have taken the lead in promoting gender parity in their corporate operations.
By expanding access to essential healthcare and self-assurance, social enterprises and NGOs, such as SHE-TPADS, a social enterprise that produces and distributes reusable sanitary napkins in West Africa, are also promoting women’s empowerment.
 Challenges and Recommendations
Ghana faces major and varied issues when it comes to proposals for women’s empowerment. While Ghana has made progress in advancing gender-economic policies and securing fundamental human rights, institutional change is still a work in progress.
The following suggestions for empowering women can help with these problems:
To reduce gender disparities in education access, steps should be made. The growth and improvement of educational facilities, ongoing examination of accessible educational options, and promotion of women in leadership and advisory positions for teachers are a few examples of such approaches.
Employer-neutral hiring procedures must be a focus of employment strategies. In addition to initiatives to increase the influence of women in areas where policy is made, this strategy includes enforcement of equal pay and employment rules.
Policies that uphold the rights of women by involving the private sector and governing organizations and providing representation. Remote learning, advisory boards, peer networks, and policies that defang special workplace mentors and give women equal promotion standing are all improvements.
The application of gender mainstreaming principles to practices and decision-making. All active implementation procedures at various scales of production, design, and administration would need to incorporate gender mainstreaming approaches.
In both urban and rural communities, skill-building initiatives should be combined with income-generating activities that encourage self-reliance and their involvement in the financial market.
Overall, in order to support a sustainable, strong, and dynamic economy in Ghana, the government and non-profit organizations must encourage and accelerate women’s empowerment. To nurture and promote women’s continuous development, infrastructure support networks must be created and developed.
Together, they avoid having their advancement in social, community, and workforce development opportunities impeded by disregard for policies and gendered biases. These achievements will significantly advance women’s emancipation by raising their socioeconomic standings, educational attainment levels, and potential for skill development.
Conclusion
The development of Ghana can be greatly aided by the empowerment of women, which will result in increased GDP, improved healthcare outcomes, and political stability. The nation has come a long way in advancing women’s empowerment and gender equality in the fields of politics, business, healthcare, and education.
But there is still work to be done, particularly to guarantee that women have access to credit, technological advancement, and career opportunities. In order for society to be a decent place for everyone, it is morally and ethically necessary to promote women’s empowerment.
Women who are empowered play a significant role in social and economic advancement put themselves, their families, and their communities in a position to prosper. Therefore, Ghana must keep collaborating with stakeholders to advance women’s rights and foster an environment that fosters their empowerment.
By Jennifer Ambolley
