Set agenda to push for passage of A A Bill- Dr. Binka to Journalists

Executive Director of Women, Media and Change and former Lecturer at Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) Dr. Charity Binka has urged media practitioners to consistently set agenda that lead discussions towards passage of Affirmative Action Bill into law aimed at improving women participation in governance.

According to her, a lot more efforts must be made to scale equal access of women to news media to ensure women issues are not swept under the carpet whilst whipping up the interests of policy makers, MPs to pass Affirmative Action Bill into law to protect equal rights for women.

Speaking at sensitisation workshop for Journalists on the need for an Affirmative Action (Gender Equality) Law for Ghana in Accra, Dr. Binka said “Journalists should set the agenda on Affirmation Action Bill by taking about gender roles, responsibilities and equal representations of women”.

Dr. Charity Binka has also urged the media to intensify advocacy and education of the public on the Affirmative Action Bill.

Dr. noted that the “Media has critical roles to play by promoting the AA Bill, news coverage of debates on the AA Bill and intensify production of special documentaries on gender equality, and women empowerment issues”.

Contributing to the debate, CEO of Africa Centre for Human Rights and Sustainable Development (AfChuRSD)Bernice Naah says passage of the Affirmative Action Bill will guarantee equal rights for all and sundry.

According to her, 52% of Ghana’s population represents women with capability of taking up leadership positions.

She noted that “What we’re saying is that, political parties should give women who are capable the opportunity to also hold leadership positions. We’re hopping that if the bill is presented to parliament, it will be laid and passed before the year ends”.

In all, over 30 Editors of various media houses were taken through the roles of media practitioners in promoting the passage of the Affirmative Action Bill, the urgent need for the law and overview of the Affirmative Action (gender equality) Bill 2020.

The totality of all of these is to ensure that journalists are acquainted with the contents of bill and how to devise ways to remove roadblocks to the old-aged bill, whilst making frantic efforts to erase stereotypes, prejudices to ensure equal access of women to media.

Affirmative Action (Gender Equality) Bill Coalition is hosted by ABANTU for Development with funding from the Equal Rights and Opportunities for Women and Girls Project (EROP) – Ghana SRHR Alliance for Young People, African Centre for Human Rights and Sustainable Development and Women in Need.

Source: africaneditors.com

Below are exclusive pictures from the workshop :