Ghana has been hailed as a regional exemplar in advancing women’s participation in peacebuilding and democratic governance, with the country’s strategic policies and leadership appointments receiving praise at the 2025 Conflict Prevention and Sustainable Peace Forum held last Wednesday (May 28, 2025) in Accra.

Delivering the keynote address on behalf of President John Dramani Mahama, the Minister for the Interior, Mohammed - Mubarak Muntaka, highlighted the significant milestones achieved by Ghana in recent years to amplify women’s voices in matters of peace and political transitions.

Chief among these, he said, was the historic election of Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang as Ghana’s first female Vice-President in 2025, a development that, alongside the passage of the Affirmative Action Law, signals a transformative shift in national governance.

“Ghana has taken bold strides to advance women’s leadership in peace and democratic governance, exemplified by the appointment of the country’s first female Vice President in 2025, three female Chief Justices, and two Electoral Commission chairs over the past two decades,” Muntaka stated.

“The Affirmative Action Act of 2024, mandating a minimum of 40% female representation in public office appointments, further underscores this commitment.”

The forum, themed “Amplifying Women’s Voices in Democratic and Political Transitions,” drew stakeholders from across Africa and beyond, including Australia, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, along with leading civil society actors.

It served as a platform to evaluate progress on the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda while calling for greater reforms to ensure women’s equitable participation in national development.

gender equality

Australia’s High Commissioner to Ghana, Her Excellency Berenice Owen-Jones, reaffirmed her country’s dedication to gender equality and peacebuilding on a global scale.

She announced Australia’s increased voluntary contribution of $15 million to the UN Peacebuilding Fund and its leadership role in developing a new Declaration for the Protection of Humanitarian Personnel.

Liberia’s Ambassador to Ghana, His Excellency Musu J. Ruhle, used the occasion to push for deeper systemic reforms, warning against tokenism in the pursuit of inclusive governance.

“Representation alone does not equate to transformation,” she declared. “True empowerment requires structural reform—in political parties, electoral financing, customary law, and transitional justice.”

Experience

She recalled Liberia’s own post-war experience, where grassroots women’s peace movements were instrumental in ending over a decade of civil conflict, yet many of those women remain sidelined from policymaking and state leadership roles.

“Democracy cannot thrive unless women have an equal voice,” she stated. “Security remains incomplete until every woman—regardless of where she lives—feels safe, heard, and respected.”

The forum was convened by the Australian High Commission in partnership with the Liberian and Sierra Leonean missions in Ghana, the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP), and the West Africa Democracy Solidarity Network (WADEMOS).

Discussions centred on policy action, institutional reforms, and collaborative strategies to mainstream gender in governance across the sub-region.