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Majority Leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu has called on gender advocates to focus on the promotion of the legislation on the Property Rights of Spouses, ahead of the Affirmative Action.

“I believe that is the first point of call, after we have attained that, then we can migrate to affirmative action,” he said, adding; “I am not downplaying the Affirmative Action.”

According to the Majority Leader, legislation on the Property Rights of Spouses had taken over 28 years, but yet to be considered.

However, “it looks like it’s now fashionable for everybody to talk about affirmative action; but this is a direct constitutional imperative.”

Article 22(2) of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana, which is on Property Right of Spouses, states: “Parliament shall, as soon as practicable after the coming into force of this Constitution, enact legislation regulating the property right of spouses.”

“It has taken 28 years and we expect people who are gender-sensitive, we expect people who are gender engineers, which include men and women, to really focus on this.”

“Today nobody is really talking about this, yet we know on daily basis women who are being pushed to the periphery, to the margins of survival, what are we doing as a country about that,” the Majority Leader said.

Mr Mensah-Bonsu said this in his contribution to a statement by Mrs Cynthia Morrison, the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, to mark this year’s International Women’s Day, which falls on March 8.

He noted that spouses, especially women, whose husbands had transitioned were left to fend for themselves.

He condemned violence against women and called for commitment to work with partner organisations to protect women through legislation, scrutiny and oversight.

Mrs Cynthia Apiagyei, the Deputy Minister, called on government to put in place deliberate policies to ensure gender parity and achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.

She said there was the need for special efforts by government to promote science and technology among girls at the district level to ensure equal opportunities for girls.

She appealed to the various sector ministers to come out with strategic plans to ensure that women were given opportunities in all the government flagship programmes such as the Planting for Food and Jobs.

Mrs Comfort Doeyo Cudjoe-Ghansah, the Member of Parliament for Ada East, called for equal opportunity for women in terms of selection into the various security agencies and appointment to the ministries.

She called on government to expedite action on the Affirmative Action Bill and advocated for more women to be considered for political appointments since they were competent.