British High Commissioner Harriet Thompson has highlighted the strong bond between the two nations, their shared democratic values, and the steps Ghana has taken to empower women.
Addressing attendees at the King’s Birthday celebration in Accra, she praised Ghana’s recent strides in gender equality, especially with the passing of the Affirmative Action and Gender Equality Act, which aims for 40% of public offices to be held by women.
“Ghana took a historic step by passing the Affirmative Action and Gender Equality Act into law, setting a goal of 40% of public offices to be held by women,” Ms. Thompson stated.
She noted that both Ghana and the UK were advancing toward greater gender representation, with the recent UK parliamentary elections seeing an all-time high of 40% women MPs.
“There’s no reason why this figure can’t be 50% or higher in the future,” she added, expressing hope for continued progress.
Extending her support to Ghana’s female political candidates, she conveyed her best wishes for their success in the coming elections.
“In so many countries, it is still hard to be a female candidate, and we, whether men or women, need to use our influence to change that,” she emphasized.
Ms. Thompson further underscored the economic and educational ties that bind the UK and Ghana, mentioning the UK’s support for youth development programs, flood recovery, and environmental sustainability efforts in Ghana.
She credited these initiatives with benefiting both nations, asserting, “A strong Ghanaian economy creates opportunities for UK-Ghana trade, allowing both of our countries to grow.”
Ending her remarks, Ms. Thompson celebrated the enduring bilateral relationship between the UK and Ghana.
“We know that a strong and enduring bilateral partnership that both learns from the past and looks to the future can improve the lives of people in both of our countries,” she concluded, raising a glass in honor of King Charles III and toasting to the future of the Ghana-UK partnership.