As the world marks three decades since the 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (Beijing+30), President John Dramani Mahama has called on governments and partners to move beyond platitudes and commit towards transformative action.
The 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action is a ground-breaking commitment to women’s rights.
President Mahama made the call in his address at the Global Leaders’ Meeting on Women in Beijing, China.
“Let us ensure that this milestone becomes a turning point—one that accelerates the realisation of gender equality and women’s empowerment all over the world,” he said.
“Together, we can make the next decade one of bold progress and shared prosperity for women and girls worldwide.”
President Mahama said Ghana’s Affirmative Action (Gender Equity) Act, 2024 (Act 1121), was recently passed, mandating a minimum of 30 per cent female representation in public appointments by the end of 2026, 35 per cent by 2028, and 50 per cent by 2030.
He said to empower women economically, Ghana was establishing a Women’s Development Bank to provide low-interest loans, financial literacy, training, and business development support to their women entrepreneurs.
This initiative, the President said aims to promote financial inclusion and create more opportunities for women across all sectors of our economy.
He noted that global order was changing rapidly, threatening to reverse the gains made under the Millennium Development Goals and the ongoing Sustainable Development Goals.
President Mahama said the global multilateral order and their rules-based trading systems were being jettisoned, giving way to more unilateral actions by some global players.
“In this unpredictable environment, we need to focus on safeguarding the gains made by our women and other vulnerable groups since the Beijing conference thirty years ago.” President Mahama said.
“The African woman is particularly vulnerable, and I wish to use this platform to call on my colleague African leaders to focus on the welfare and empowerment of our women.”
He said gender equality was more than a matter of justice; it is a catalyst for sustainable development.
“When women succeed, families thrive, communities become stronger, and nations progress,” President Mahama said.
“Our experience in Ghana demonstrates that investing in women produces tangible benefits in productivity, innovation, and social cohesion.”
On his part, Chinese President Xi Jinping, put forward four proposals to accelerate the process of women’s all-round development.
He said the proposals were being introduced to build a wider consensus, open broader pathways and take more practical actions for this cause, as women’s all-round development was still facing complex challenges.
