Gender minister says Ghana's equity law machinery is ready, moves to enforcement

Pinned summary · as of 03:52

Gender, Children and Social Protection Minister Dr Agnes Naa Momo Lartey has told several audiences in September 2026 that the bodies and rules needed to run the Affirmative Action (Gender Equity) Act now exist. She spoke at a public accountability forum, at a session with women journalists in Accra and when a women's movement handed her a petition.

What we know

• Dr Lartey said the committee and secretariat that the Affirmative Action (Gender Equity) Act requires have been set up and are supporting its rollout, a message carried by Onua Online and Citi Newsroom.
• The minister also said the legislative instrument that backs the law is in place, according to Onua Online, which named it as L.I. 2522, and Citi Newsroom.
• The Act became law in 2024. Opemsuo 104.7 gave its number as Act 1121, and it reported that the ministry's Gender Equity Committee Secretariat held a training session on it for women in the media in Accra on Thursday, 17 September 2026.
• Dr Lartey has used the different events to press for effective implementation of the law, telling women journalists to lead in advocating it and describing the shift as one from advocacy to enforcement.

What's disputed / unconfirmed

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  Onua Online reported that the minister said 47 institutions have filed compliance reports and 2,321 stakeholders have been briefed on the framework; no other report has confirmed these numbers.
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  According to Onua Online, Dr Lartey said 37 awareness programmes have together reached nearly 11,000 people, covering child marriage, harmful cultural practices and sexual and gender-based violence. This has not been confirmed elsewhere.
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  Dr Lartey told the Government Accountability Series, as reported by Onua Online, that a shelter network covering all 16 regions is the goal. She said a shelter has been commissioned in Accra, that the ministry has also backed a pair of centres in the Eastern and Upper West regions, and that two to three new shelters are planned for 2027. No second report backs these details.
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  Onua Online said the minister gave survivors of gender-based violence a toll-free line, 0800 111 222, and a WhatsApp number, 055 1755 7575, for the Orange Support Center. The numbers come from one report only.
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  Citi Newsroom reported that a group calling itself Women's Voice Matter handed the minister a petition on women's rights, freedom of expression and the delay in setting up a proposed Women's Development Bank. The minister said the Office of the Vice President is leading the bank's creation with her ministry and that Ghanaians would see it very soon, pointing to funding commitments across budget statements. These points rest on a single report.
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  Opemsuo 104.7 reported remarks from the ministry's Chief Director, Dr Marian Kpakpah, and from Dr Charity Binka, who chairs the African Women Leaders Network (AWLN), on the media's role and on women taking up leadership. It also reported Dr Lartey's call for sustained public education so more women enter elected positions. No other report carried these remarks.

Why it matters for Ghana

The law is meant to raise women's share of public positions, and public bodies now face reporting and monitoring duties under it. Women's groups, survivors of abuse and women seeking office will look at whether the promised structures, shelters outside Accra and the proposed Women's Development Bank become real services. The exchange with the petitioners shows that advocates want delivery on promises rather than assurances.