President John Dramani Mahama has called on governments and international partners to take transformative action towards achieving genuine gender equality and empowerment for women worldwide.

He said Ghana, for instance, was committed to gender equality and women’s empowerment, and highlighted landmark achievements under his administration.

Speaking at the Global Leaders’ Meeting on Women in Beijing, China, yesterday, President Mahama said Ghana had taken decisive steps to integrate gender perspectives into all national development policies.

“As the African Union Champion for Gender and Women’s Empowerment, I am proud to say that Ghana remains steadfast in its pursuit of equality for all,” President Mahama stated.

He said Ghana had reached several historic milestones, including the election of the country’s first female Vice-President and the appointment of women to top positions in government, the judiciary, the security services, and major national institutions.

Affirmation

“These are not symbolic gestures; they are a deliberate affirmation that women deserve a seat at the highest levels of decision-making,” President Mahama said.

“And I am confident that, in the very near future, our women will break the glass ceiling and that a woman will be President of the Republic of Ghana,” he added.

The President also touted the successes his administration had chalked up in education.

He pointed to the significant achievement, stressing that Ghana had achieved gender parity in school enrolment, with more girls accessing and completing school than ever before.

“Our commitment is further demonstrated by robust institutional reforms and legal frameworks designed to protect the rights of women and girls,” he said.

He cited improvements in key agencies, such as the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection; the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service, the Domestic Violence Secretariat, and the Specialised Domestic Violence Courts, to buttress these achievements.

He said sustained budgetary allocations had enhanced the capacity of those institutions to deliver justice, protection and social support to survivors of gender-based violence.

Bilateral meeting

Later at a bilateral meeting yesterday with the Premier of the State Council of China, Li Qiang, as part of his three-day state visit to China, President Mahama underscored the need for countries that share common interests and values to unite in the face of global trade challenges.

He stressed the importance of forging partnerships between countries with mutual interests, such as China and Ghana, to address economic challenges and promote fairer trade practices.

The President recalled the bond of friendship between the two countries spanning 65 years.

In support of a global free market and trade, President Mahama reiterated his concerns about the United States’ trade policies.

He said world leaders, after the Second World War, agreed to adopt a multilateral order.

"Unfortunately, some countries have decided to act unilaterally, both in terms of their relationship with other countries, and also in terms of destroying the rules-based world trade order that we all agree to," President Mahama said.

He said many countries, including Ghana, had been slapped with export tariffs.

President Mahama said those tariff impositions were creating a lot of confusion and unpredictability across the world.

"But this is a time that countries that have shared values, like Ghana and China, and other willing partners that believe in multilateralism should stand closer together," the President said.

Commendation

He commended China for the work it was doing in Africa.

"Let me congratulate China and thank you for the support you continue to give to Africa through the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) and the Belt and Road Initiative," President Mahama said.

Those programmes, he added, were opening up infrastructure that facilitated trade, particularly in Africa.

"And so it becomes important that we put in the infrastructure, the railways, the ports and roads to be able to exchange goods between African countries, and China has been one of the countries that have assisted in this regard," he said.

President Mahama further lauded China for the offer of a zero-tariff policy, particularly for Africa.

He was of the strong belief that when that was implemented, Ghana would be one of the first countries to sign a zero-tariff agreement with China.