Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2018, published 108th ILC session (2019)

Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111) - Ghana (Ratification: 1961)

Article 2 of the Convention. Gender equality in employment and occupation. The Committee notes that although the Government indicates in its report that the Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs is currently discussing the introduction of a paternity leave entitlement, it does not reply to its previous request for information on the measures taken within the framework of the affirmative action policy. Additionally, the Committee notes, from the 2014 concluding observations of the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), that an Affirmative Action (Gender Equality) Bill is being discussed. This is said to seek to improve women’s participation in decision-making processes and, among other things, it establishes a quota of 40 per cent for the representation of women in Parliament and public administration (CEDAW/C/GHA/CO/6-7, paragraph 20). The Committee further notes from the 2016 Annual Report of the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) on Ghana, that in 2016 there was an increase of female members in Parliament, from 11 per cent to 13.5 per cent. The Committee also takes note of the Coordinated Programme of Economic and Social Development Policies (2017–24) adopted by the Government that contains five main pillars and includes, in its “social development” pillar the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls. It also notes the adoption of a National Gender Policy (2015), focusing on five policy commitments, namely: (i) women’s empowerment and livelihood, (ii) women’s rights and access to justice, (iii) women’s leadership and accountable governance, (iv) economic opportunities for women, and (v) gender roles and relations. The Committee also notes from the National Gender Policy that, in 2013, the Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs was renamed the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MoGCSP). Further, the Committee notes the Ghana Living Standards Survey Round 6, published in 2014, which provides statistical data on the number of men and women employed in the different sectors of the private and public sectors. Recalling that the adoption of policies are only efficient if they are followed by the implementation of concrete measures, the Committee asks the Government to provide detailed information on the measures taken within the framework of the National Gender Policy and the Coordinated Programme of Economic and Social Development Policies (2017–24), including information on the time frame for their implementation and on their impact in improving gender equality in employment and occupation. Please also indicate whether the Affirmative Action (Gender Equality) Bill was passed and provide a copy of it once adopted. Finally, the Committee asks the Government to provide updated statistical information on the situation of women and men in employment in the private and the public sectors.

Article 3. Education and vocational training. The Committee recalls that the Education Act (2008) no longer includes provisions prohibiting discrimination in education on the basis of all the grounds listed in Article 1(1)(a) of the Convention. It recalls that section 28 of the Education Act (2008) provides for a grievance procedure before the National Accreditation Board or the district education oversight committee, when a parent has cause to suspect discrimination; and that section 29(o) of the Education Act provides that the Minister may make regulations in respect of “gender equity at all levels and programmes of education”. The Committee notes that the Government’s report provides no new information with regard to the question of education and vocational training. However, it notes that according to the Ghana Living Standards Survey Round 6, a higher proportion of females (24.3 per cent) as compared to males (14.6 per cent) have never been to school. The Committee further notes from the Coordinated Programme of Economic and Social Development Policies (2017–24) and the Education Strategic Plan 2010–20, that the Government intends to implement policies for education and training which will focus on improving inclusive and equitable access to, and participation in, education at all levels. Finally, according to the UNDAF’s Annual Country Report, gender parity in junior high schools has already increased in 2016 as a result of UN supported advocacy efforts which focused on making the education sector more responsive to the issues of teenage pregnancy and gender-based violence. The Committee asks the Government to provide updated information on the measures taken or envisaged, in the framework of the Education Strategic Plan and the Coordinated Programme of Economic and Social Development Policies (2017–24), to promote access for girls and women to education and training, including to technical institutes and tertiary education institutions to enable them to gain access to a wider range of jobs and occupations, and on the results achieved. Noting the lack of information provided in this regard, the Committee also asks the Government to provide information on the grounds of discrimination covered by the grievance procedure in section 28 of the Education Act of 2008, and to indicate whether such grounds include all the grounds of discrimination listed under Article 1(1)(a) of the Convention. Once again, please indicate whether ministerial regulations pursuant to section 29(o) have been adopted, and, if so, forward a copy of such regulations.