Accra: The Aya Institute for Women, Politics and Media has emphasized the importance of gender diversity in the selection of human resources within functional democracies, advocating for the inclusion of all talents and professions to contribute to national development.
According to Ghana News Agency, the institute released a statement urging nations to prioritize gender equality as a crucial part of their national agendas. This call to action coincides with the International Women's Day (IWD) celebrations, highlighting the global issue of panel diversity. The World Economic Forum 2020 reported a significant gender imbalance, with men representing 86 percent of global speakers, leaving women with only 14 percent representation. The Global Media Monitoring Project (GMMP) 2020 also pointed to the overwhelming dominance of male voices in Africa's media, overshadowing female expertise and perspectives.
The 2024 Ghana Women Experts Report further underscores this disparity, revealing that women constitute only 14 percent of experts in the Ghanaian media, with some outlets reporting as low as three percent female expert representation. The Aya Institute calls on Ghanaian media to address this challenge by committing to gender diversity in panel selection, despite the difficulties in sourcing women speakers for major socio-economic discussions.
This year's IWD theme, "Accelerate Action," serves as a reminder of the ongoing journey toward gender equality and the necessity for genuine commitments to this cause. The institute highlighted Ghana's recent achievements, including the election of the country's first female vice president and the passage of the Affirmative Action Bill into law in late 2024. The 2024 elections also witnessed a modest increase in female representatives.
Marking three decades since the Beijing Conference in 1995, the Aya Institute recognizes the progress made in Ghana's gender equality efforts. The World Bank's Women, Business and Law Index 2024 noted that increased female political representation can drive substantial economic investments. Additionally, the World Bank's "Representation Matters Report" 2025 linked women's political representation to the promotion of legal equality and economic opportunity.
In celebration of International Women's Day, the Aya Institute encourages continued advocacy for gender diversity to ensure a fairer society where women's contributions are acknowledged and valued, thereby enhancing the functionality of democracy.
