POWA defends Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang against disproportionate criticism over women’s issues

Story by: Regina Bless

The Progressive Organisation for Women’s Advancement (POWA) has called for Vice President Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang to be assessed based on her broader responsibilities as a national leader rather than being held disproportionately accountable for issues affecting women and girls.

In a press statement signed by its Founder and President, Dr. Victoria Lakshmi Hamah, the organisation criticised what it described as growing attempts to place excessive responsibility on the Vice President for challenges affecting women and girls because she is Ghana’s first female Vice President.

POWA argued that her gender should not make her the default person held responsible for every issue concerning women’s welfare, protection and rights.

“Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang is the Vice President of Ghana, not merely the Vice President for women and girls,” the statement said.

The organisation noted that the Vice President’s mandate extends across several areas of national development, including economic transformation, education, institutional development, social protection and international relations.

It maintained that the historic significance of her election should broaden opportunities for women in leadership rather than restrict the expectations placed on her to gender-related matters.

According to POWA, celebrating the country’s first female Vice President while expecting her leadership to revolve exclusively around women’s issues would undermine the broader principle of gender equality.

The organisation acknowledged the importance of women leaders in advancing gender equality and protecting vulnerable groups but stressed that these responsibilities must be pursued through institutional mandates, collective governance and the rule of law.

POWA further argued that women who attain high political office should not face additional expectations simply because of their gender, particularly where similar demands are not imposed on their male counterparts.

The statement highlighted the roles of institutions such as the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service, the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), and the courts in addressing challenges affecting women, children and vulnerable persons.

It called for these institutions to receive adequate resources and be held accountable for fulfilling their respective responsibilities.

While acknowledging that the Vice President can support policy reforms, promote coordination among institutions and advocate stronger protections for women and girls, POWA said she should not be expected to replace agencies legally mandated to investigate complaints, protect victims, enforce the law and administer justice.

The organisation also urged the public and political actors to distinguish between legitimate expectations of national leaders and what it considers unreasonable demands for one individual to account for every incident affecting women and girls.

POWA stressed that public officials must remain open to scrutiny, but maintained that criticism should be evidence-based and proportionate to their official responsibilities.

It further described the advancement and protection of women as a shared national responsibility requiring the participation of government, Parliament, law enforcement agencies, the judiciary, civil society organisations, traditional authorities, families and communities.

The organisation called on political parties to place the welfare and advancement of women above partisan interests and encouraged the public to promote a political culture in which women leaders are assessed fairly and public institutions are held accountable.

POWA concluded that the country’s progress towards gender equality requires stronger institutions, shared responsibility and fair treatment of women in leadership rather than expectations that place disproportionate burdens on individuals because of their gender.