The story of women’s empowerment in Ghana is one of resilience, progress, and persistent barriers. In 2025, Ghana stands at a crossroads, celebrating gains in women’s participation in politics, education, and the workforce while still confronting inequalities that threaten decades of advocacy. This journey reflects Ghana’s commitment to Sustainable Development Goal 5 (SDG 5),achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls. Guided by this global framework, national policies increasingly emphasize inclusive governance, economic opportunity, and access to education and healthcare. Yet structural and cultural challenges remain, demanding stronger institutional action to turn empowerment into sustained equality.
H.E Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang (Significant milestone for women in the history of the country).
Political Representation: A Stubborn Barrier
Ghana’s Parliament currently counts 40 women among 275 members, just 14.5%. Though this marks an increase from 11% in 2012 and 13% in 2016, it still falls short of the UN’s 30% target for 2025. In contrast, Rwanda exceeds 60%. This struggle aligns with SDG 5 on gender equality and SDG 16 on inclusive institutions. As MP Helen Adjoa Ntoso notes, barriers to women’s political participation are deeply structural, rooted in cultural norms, limited financing, and systemic bias. Expanding women’s leadership is not only a moral imperative but central to Ghana’s SDG commitments on inclusive governance.
Economic Empowerment: Where Hope Lives
While politics lags, Ghana’s economy offers hope. Women’s labor-force participation stands at about 65%, slightly above the Sub-Saharan average, and women lead nearly 44% of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). Programs such as MTN’s She Builds and UN-backed initiatives are opening doors through digital training, access to finance, and leadership support. These efforts advance SDG 5 alongside SDG 8 on inclusive growth and SDG 9 on innovation. The UN-WACOMP project, which recently supported over 31,000 women-owned SMEs, shows real transformation. Yet challenges persist, restricted funding, limited market visibility, and digital gaps remain obstacles to scaling success.
Education: The Foundation for Change
Empowerment begins in classrooms. Supported by UNICEF, UN Women, and national partners, Ghana has advanced toward gender parity in education, the Gender Parity Index at Senior High School now stands at 0.99. Efforts to end child marriage (still affecting 16.1% of women aged 20–24), promote STEM learning, and reduce adolescent pregnancy directly advance SDG 4 on quality education and SDG 5 on gender equality. Every girl who stays in school brings Ghana closer to the SDG vision of opportunity for all.
Persistent Challenges and the Path Forward
Despite progress, gaps between policy and practice endure: women entrepreneurs still face bias, early marriage curtails opportunity, and informal workers remain marginalized. These inequities highlight the urgency of SDG 10 on reducing inequalities. To move forward, Ghana must enforce reforms that increase women’s political representation, expand financial instruments for women-led enterprises, and strengthen protection against gender-based violence.
A Call to Action
At the Rebecca Agroh Memorial Foundation (RAMF), we believe the time for waiting is over. The groundwork has been laid through years of advocacy, education, and inclusion. Now is the moment to act decisively, ensuring this generation of Ghanaian women is remembered as the one that broke through. Every recommendation here strengthens progress toward SDG 5, promoting women’s full participation, equal rights, and leadership across all sectors.
As RAMF champions these initiatives, it reinforces the truth behind the SDGs: sustainable development can only be achieved when women rise equally alongside men.
