Regulation and gender equality and non-discrimination of women in top management positions in Ghana

摘要

The engagement of more women at top level management positions in both public and private institutions has increasingly been attracting interest amongst the general public, academia and policy-makers; especially given the seemingly increasing participation of females in the labour market. In spite of the many campaigns for the inclusion of women at top level management, it appears the proportion of women to men in senior management positions has not been encouraging. The aim of the study was to gain insight into the impact of international conventions and local laws on gender equality, inclusion and non-discrimination of women at top level management in Ghana. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from 160 workers. The results of the study revealed that despite the number of conferences, conventions, policies and legislations enacted to ensure the non-discrimination, inclusion and equal representation of women at all levels in both public and private institutions, most institutions do not adhere to these enshrined principles. Again, the study showed that the appointment and selection of persons to such top level management positions is often influenced by factors un-associated with qualification, experience or knowledge in Ghana. It is recommended that institutions should be required by law to comply with the provisions of the various conventions and policies through concrete and deliberate actions in order to provide an enabling environment for women to occupy top management positions in Ghana. The study further suggested that affirmative actions be embarked upon with other considerations such as qualification, experience and knowledge.