The Member of Parliament for Krachi West, Reverend Helen Adwoa Ntoso, is calling for a more equitable national budget that addresses the specific needs of women across all sectors of the economy.
Speaking on the floor of Parliament, Rev. Ntoso urged the government to adopt what she described as a gender-responsive budget—one that considers women’s needs beyond just the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection.
She referenced the recently passed Affirmative Action (Gender Equity) Act, 2024 (Act 1121), which mandates a 30% quota for women’s appointments in all sectors.
However, she expressed disappointment over the lack of implementation, citing that out of 276 Members of Parliament, only 41 are women—just 14%.
“Looking at international rankings, Ghana is 114 out of 147 countries in terms of women’s representation in Parliament.
Meanwhile, countries like Rwanda are far ahead, with women making up about 62% of their legislature. This is largely due to their use of a quota system which Ghana must consider adopting,” she noted.
Rev. Ntoso emphasized that budgeting for women’s issues should not be left to one ministry alone.
“For example, the Ministry of Defence should set aside funds for addressing the unique needs of female personnel. The Ministry of Education should also budget for gender-related concerns, not just sanitary pads,” she said.
She further noted that even though funds have been allocated for the distribution of sanitary pads, more comprehensive support is needed for women in areas such as health, education, trade, and security.
“As it stands, almost 83% of the Gender Ministry’s budget goes into school feeding and the LEAP programme. There’s very little left for other pressing women’s issues,” she explained.
Rev. Ntoso, a member of Parliament’s Gender Committee, concluded by urging a coordinated national approach: “If we want to be seen as a country that truly supports women, every ministry must do its part.
Otherwise, all the burden falls unfairly on the Ministry of Gender.”
Story By: Prosper Kwaku & Selassy Agbitor
About The Author
