The Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Nana Oye Lithur, has urged parliamentarians to ensure the passage of the Property Rights of Spousal Bill and the Interstate Succession Bill.

According to her, the legislative instrument needs to pass the Bills before 2016 so as to further push the rights of women.
She charged them to consider the passage of the Bills as their political gift to women.

Nana Oye disclosed while welcoming all present to the 3rd National Gender Dialogue on Assessing 30 years of the Intestate Succession Law (PNDCL 111).

The dialogue was to commemorate this year’s international Women’s Day which is on the global theme “Planet 50-50 by 2030: Step it up for Gender Equality”. In line with the latter, Ghana’s national theme is “Gender Equality by 2030: Inclusion of all for Ghana’s Sustainable Development”.

Nana Oye Lithur noted that the PNDC Law 111 opened the floodgates for women’s empowerment in Ghana, adding that, it turned Ghanaian Customs and traditions on inheritance around.

The Gender Minister hinted that research and analysis of the PNDC Law 111 has identified some gaps in the existing legislation which provided a foundation for inheritance rights, through legal application; however, it has become evident that certain amendments were necessary to ensure the law met its objectives.

“To address this gap in the Law, a Bill called the Intestate Succession Bill has therefore been presented to Parliament by Government for consideration and adoption”

Nana Oye Lithur indicated that, it is the goal of her Ministry to work through strong advocacy programmes to ensure that the Bill is passed before the end of the year.

Traditional Leader and Paramount Chief of Asokore Asante, Nana Prof. K.B. Asante chaired the Dialogue session with a call to state actors not to just empower women to know about the law but to ensure that the law actually advances the protection of women’s rights.

Key individuals who graced the occasion was the Former First Lady, Dr. Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings, President of the Ghana Bar Association, Bension Nutsukpui, Executive Director Federation of Women Lawyers Association (FIDA) Jane Quaye , Executive Director Ark Foundation Angela Dwamena Aboagye, Queen mothers and traditional rulers.