Parliament has officially passed the Affirmative Action bill into law.

The Affirmative Action Gender Equity Bill 2024, which has encountered several delays over the years, was finally unanimously approved by Parliament.

This legislation aims to ensure that a substantial number of women hold significant roles in governance, public life, and decision-making positions, thereby improving the status of women in the country.

Earlier today, Gender Minister Darkoa Newmann proposed the motion for the bill's passage, which was subsequently voted on and approved by the House.

Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin remarked that, despite this progress, additional efforts are necessary to achieve true gender equity.

"Don’t just celebrate and don't really put in place the vision that we have created for the country. But more importantly, I hope that members will commit themselves to the constitutional reforms.

We need to do more there to be able to create this free and just society we are looking for to liberate more of our women to be able to support us to be able to develop mother Ghana," he said.

The law also aims to promote efforts to address socio-cultural, political, economic, and educational gender imbalances in both private and public sectors, as stipulated in Clause 4 of Article 17 of the 1992 Constitution.

Its goal is to progressively increase and ensure the active participation of women in public and civic life, aiming for a minimum representation of 30 percent by 2030, in alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).