Ghana’s Vice President, Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, has renewed calls for increased participation of women in top government positions, stressing the need for equitable representation in leadership and decision-making.
Speaking at the 80th anniversary and Speech Day celebration of Holy Child School in Cape Coast, the Vice President emphasised that empowering women to assume leadership roles is critical for national development.
She explained that Ghana must strengthen opportunities for women in education, entrepreneurship, enterprise development, and leadership, in line with international commitments the country has signed onto.
“Educating girls is the national strategy. Even as we celebrate progress, we must acknowledge the work that remains,” she stated.
Government Target for Women in Leadership
Prof. Opoku-Agyemang noted that Ghana is working toward achieving a 30 percent representation target for women in leadership by 2026 under the Affirmative Action Act.
According to her, the government is implementing several initiatives aimed at empowering women economically and socially. These include programmes such as the Women’s Economic Resilience Initiative (WERI) and the National Insurance School Expansion Programme.
She stressed that achieving gender equality in leadership requires strong partnerships and people-centred approaches to create sustainable and inclusive progress.
School Authorities Highlight Challenges
Meanwhile, the Headmistress of Holy Child School, Linda Appiah, highlighted a number of challenges facing the institution.
She noted that the school is currently dealing with shortages of both teaching and non-teaching staff, aging infrastructure, and disciplinary issues among some students.
According to her, some students have been misusing tablets provided for academic purposes by accessing non-educational content at odd hours.
Call for Regional Quota in Elite Schools
Also speaking at the event, the Mayor of the Cape Coast Metropolitan Assembly, George Justice Arthur, called for a quota system to ensure more students from the Central Region benefit from admission into top senior high schools located in the area.
“It is about time pupils from Cape Coast and the Central Region benefit from a quota system in these top schools in the area, especially as they play an important role in shaping young lives,” he said.
The anniversary celebration, held under the theme “80 Years of Developing Globally Impactful Women of Substance,” brought together education stakeholders, alumni, students, and government officials to reflect on the institution’s legacy in shaping female leaders in Ghana.