| This explorative and qualitative study examines the broad meaning of gender equality from women's perspective in Ghana. After decades of the first international conference on women and the active policies and UN conventions for gender equality and gender mainstreaming, inequalities between women and men still persist in the Ghanaian society and very likely, have increased in some areas. Even though equality exists in the form of legal and constitutional rights and formally acknowledged equal opportunities for women and men in terms of employment and education, most women in Ghana continue to suffer from gender discrimination and domination.; This study captures the 'voices' of some Ghanaian women in both urban and rural backgrounds, different educational and socio-economic and occupational statuses, their own description and meaning of gender equality in Ghana. This study drew its data from six different focus-group discussions within the Greater Accra and Volta regions of Ghana. The findings of this study revealed that theoretically, Ghanaian women claimed to have the constitutional right to enjoy equal rights and opportunities with their male counterparts, however, in practice and reality, they lag behind in almost all public spheres of life. They lagged behind in political participation and decision-making, education, inheritance of property, and also in expressing and enjoying their sexual and reproductive and other human rights as women. The Participants described vividly their low social positions, in the society and equally expressed the dilemmas, and the contradictions that they faced as women.; They attributed this gender inequality to factors such as institutional and structural barriers, women's multiple roles, cultural and customary barriers and women's own apathetic and negative attitudes.; This study also documented suggestions for change from the participants and in addition examined other long-term strategies for structural and institutional changes in terms of appropriate gender sensitive and gender-friendly policy formulation and implementation and a very effective broadbase mass movement of women and cultural and attitude changes. |
