Let Affirmative Action Bill punish abusers of all women, not only politicians - Analyst to Adwoa Safo

The advocacy for state officials to pay attention to cyber bullying of female personalities on social media in Ghana seem to be catching on for "lone campaigner" Kelly Nii Lartey Mensah who recently appealed to Gender Ministry and GJA to condemn abusive attacks on female journalists and entertainers.

The digital media and entertainment curator has once again extended his plea to Hon Adwoa Safo, deputy Majority Leader and chairperson of the Women Caucus of the Parliament of Ghana to push for Clause 38 of the draft on Affirmative Action Bill that says that ‘A person who victimizes, obstructs or exerts undue influence and submits a female politician to verbal attack, among others, commits an offence’; to be amended to include "all women".

A report about the honourable MP's statement at the 2019 Women Political Leaders Summit that took place in Japan said that, the passage of the Affirmative Action Bill into an Act will empower and increase women participation in decision making —and will soon make insulting female politicians a crime.

"This is wesome, but why only female politicians?" — Kelly Nik Lartey Mensah queried

He argued that, in recent days, Ghana has recorded escalation of abrasive comments, debasement, insults, threats, chastisements and open vilification of female musicians, journalists, and celebrities mainly on social media.

"For Ghana to truly achieve gender parity, the bill must open up this particular Clause 38 to include all women" he wrote on his Facebook page.



Affirmative Action Bill has been waiting to be passed since about 10 years ago. It seeks to help increase the participation of women in decision making by providing 40 percent of female representation and participation in governance, public positions of power.