Employers Association Seeks Gender Ministry’s Support to Extend Female Future Programme to MPs
The Ghana Employers Association (GEA) has engaged the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection on plans to expand its Female Future Programme to women serving in Parliament as part of efforts to strengthen women’s leadership and participation in decision-making.
A delegation from the Association, led by its Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Alex Frimpong, paid a courtesy call on the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, to discuss the initiative and explore areas of collaboration.
The delegation briefed the Minister on the Female Future Programme, a leadership development initiative implemented by the GEA over the past eight to nine years to equip women in senior management with the knowledge, skills and confidence required to take on higher leadership responsibilities.
The programme focuses on leadership development, effective communication, governance, and other competencies to prepare women for executive and strategic leadership positions.
Mr Frimpong and his team said the programme had recorded positive outcomes and expressed the Association’s intention to extend it to female Members of Parliament.
According to the GEA, similar initiatives implemented in other African countries had produced encouraging results, and the Association was hopeful of partnering with the Gender Ministry to introduce the programme in Ghana’s Parliament.
Responding to the proposal, Dr Lartey welcomed the initiative and emphasised the importance of programmes that empower women and strengthen their capacity to occupy leadership positions.
She said the Ministry remained committed to promoting gender equality and supporting interventions that create opportunities for women to contribute meaningfully to leadership and national decision-making.
The Minister, however, asked the Association to submit a comprehensive concept note outlining the proposed programme to enable the Ministry to undertake a detailed review and provide the necessary technical input.
Dr Lartey also indicated that the Ministry would engage the appropriate leadership and relevant stakeholders to explore possible areas of collaboration.
She stressed the need for the programme to be appropriately adapted to Ghana’s local context and national priorities to ensure its effectiveness and sustainability.
The meeting ended with both sides agreeing to continue discussions on the proposed partnership, with the aim of developing a framework for implementing the Female Future Programme for female parliamentarians in Ghana.
Source: Felix Nyaaba/expressnewsghana.com
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