Ghana needs cultural re-engineering to change societal norms to empower women – Prof Darteh

Professor Eugene K. M. Darteh of the  Department of Population and Health, University of Cape Coast, Wednesday said to support women participation in politics, Ghana needs a cultural re-engineering to change societal norms to empower them to succeed.

He noted that the overprotection of women and girls by society denied them the opportunity to develop critical skills.

“We are growing women who are timid, but that is not a way to get women to partake in politics,” he said.

Prof Darteh, a Professor of Social Dimension and Reproductive Health, said this at the 2025 Rise Women Conference ( RiWoCo), convened in Accra by the Emerging Public Leaders (EPL) Ghana, a Non-Profit Organisation.

It was on the theme: “Beyond Declarations: Advancing Gender Equality and Inclusive Leadership for Transformative Governance”.

He said women must be given the opportunity to be able to argue, debate and fight for themselves.

“… So until we begin a process where we deliberately allow our girls to interact, socialise with peers – with some guidance – l don’t think we will really make a change,” he added.

The conference is a component of the EPL Co-Impact Women on the Rise Initiative,  implemented in collaboration with the Office of the Head of Civil Service, to address gender barriers within the public service.

It aims to localise international discussions linked to the Commission on the Status of Women, which marked 30 years of implementing the Beijing Declaration and bringing together stakeholders to develop solutions and policy strategies.

 Prof. Dartey expressed worry over the low representation of women in Parliament and the need for deliberate efforts to increase representation by creating safe seats for them in politics and changing the conversation in leadership.

He advocated gender education at the basic level to ensure future generations understood and supported affirmative action.

Prof Darteh called for deliberate budgeting for women and gender-related issues and for the  Select Committee on Gender, Children, and Social Welfare to track their budget lines to ensure they were not treated as tokenism.

Ms Juliet A. Amoah, Country Director, EPL Ghana, noted that despite three decades of the Beijing Declaration and progress made, inequalities still persisted, acknowledging that declarations did not change systems but people did.

She said women in public service had the extraordinary power to transform lives, uplift communities and shape more equitable nations.

Ms Amoh encouraged women to claim their space and value their voices.

“We must move beyond declarations towards decisive action, institutional accountability, and a future where transformative leadership is inclusive by design,” she said.

She emphasised EPL’s commitment to transformative leadership, particularly for women and young people.

Dr Evans Aggrey Darkoh, the Head of Civil Service, in a speech read on his behalf, said women were at the centre of change at a time when the world demanded inclusive governance, equitable  opportunity, and sustainable leadership.

“I am proud to say that we  continue to affirm the principles of equity, meritocracy, and  gender inclusivity in our policies, leadership development  programmes, and institutional reforms,” he said.

Dr Aggrey Darkoh said the OHCS had established a Gender Diversity Task Force to oversee mainstreaming of gender in all its policies, projects and  programmes.

 “Women occupy key positions of responsibility in our  service, not as tokens, but as leaders whose competence,  integrity, and resilience inspire future generations. But we also recognise that more must be done, “ he stated.

The Head of civil Service pledged the Service’s continuous support to  advancing gender equity and supporting women’s leadership at all  levels.

Emerging Public Leaders Ghana collaborates with government, local organisations, and communities to equip young Ghanaians with the knowledge, skills, and networks to become effective change agents in the public sector.

Source: GNA

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