There Are Only 2 Female Ministers in Cabinet - Speaker Bagbin Slams Gov't Over Poor Gender Representation

Accra, Ghana - 11 March, 2025 - Ghana's Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has sounded the alarm over the glaring absence of women in key government positions, sparking renewed calls for greater gender representation.

In a stinging rebuke, Bagbin lamented that President John Dramani Mahama's cabinet falls woefully short of the 30% benchmark for women's representation, with only two female ministers out of 19 cabinet ministers. 

This, he argued, is a clear breach of the Affirmative Action Gender Equality Act.

“We have tarried long enough in passing the bill. Let us not apply the same wishy-washy attitude towards its implementation. I am not impressed with what I have seen so far regarding the leadership position of women in Parliament, committees of Parliament, and appointments into senior positions. Even the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection is not a cabinet ministry,” he lamented.

“So, I call on leadership, and I will lead it. They have to consider the reconstitution of leadership in the House. We passed the law, so we have to lead by example. Out of the 43 committees in Parliament, only four are chaired by women. And out of 19 ministers of state in the cabinet, only two are women. So, why did we spend all the resources and time to pass the law? We have to sit up,” he added.

The Speaker's comments, made on International Women's Day, underscore the persistent struggle for gender equality in Ghana's corridors of power. With women severely underrepresented in parliament and government, Bagbin's intervention has reignited debate about the need for affirmative action to address the imbalance.

Source: Lead News Online