Dr Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, Ghana’s Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, has called on African countries to rigorously enforce affirmative action policies to increase women’s participation in public office.

She made the call on the sidelines of the 70th Session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women in New York, where she delivered closing remarks at a high-level side event hosted by the Pan-African Parliament, African Union Development Agency – NEPAD, and the African Women Leaders Network.

The event, held at the Nelson Mandela Hall of the AU Permanent Observer Mission, was under the theme “Strengthening Women’s Public and Parliamentary Leadership to Advance Justice, Laws and Accountable Governance in Africa.”

Dr. Lartey commended the organisers for creating a platform to advance discussions on women’s leadership and governance across the continent. She particularly praised the African Women Leaders Network for its sustained advocacy in promoting women’s participation in leadership.

Highlighting progress made across Africa, the Minister acknowledged that several countries have adopted legislative reforms, gender-responsive policies, and institutional mechanisms to improve women’s representation in governance. She noted that these efforts align with the aspirations of the African Union Agenda 2063 and global commitments to gender equality.

Dr. Lartey also outlined key achievements by the Ghanaian government under the leadership of John Dramani Mahama, including the passage of the Affirmative Action (Gender Equity) Act, 2024, and the implementation of the National Gender Policy.

According to her, these frameworks are designed to address the persistent underrepresentation of women in decision-making and ensure gender considerations are integrated across all sectors of national development.

She stressed that meaningful progress requires both strong legal frameworks and effective implementation, supported by collaboration among government institutions, parliament, civil society, traditional authorities, and development partners.

In her concluding remarks, the Minister urged African countries to prioritise three key actions: strengthening legal and institutional frameworks for women’s participation, addressing structural and socio-economic barriers such as political financing gaps and violence against women in politics, and investing in mentorship and leadership development for young women and girls.

She emphasised that empowering women is critical to achieving inclusive governance and sustainable development across Africa.