Ghana’s journey toward gender equity in health­care governance has spanned decades. In 1996, Dr Eunice Brookman-Amis­sah made history as Ghana’s first female Minister of Health. She served with conviction and clarity, championing access to reproduc­tive health and later becoming an international advocate for women’s health rights across Africa.

In the early 2000s, Dr Beatrice Wiafe-Addai established Breast Care International, empowering thousands of Ghanaian women through awareness, early detec­tion, and treatment of breast cancer. Her pioneering work set a benchmark for female-led health interventions.

Then in 2010, Professor Afua Hesse, Ghana’s first female paediatric surgeon, rose to the presidency of the Medical Wom­en’s International Association. Her leadership in surgical training and policy advocacy opened doors for many young women in medicine.

In 2017, Delese Mimi Darko was appointed CEO of the Ghana Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), becoming the first woman to hold the role. She now serves as Director-General of the African Medicines Agency, proving that Ghanaian women are not only capable of leading but are already shaping global health policy.

These milestones illustrate more than just appointments. They speak to a quiet revolution—an affir­mation that women can and must lead, especially in sectors where their lived experiences are central to national development.

In this spirit, the appointment of Professor Dr Grace Ayensu-Dan­quah as Ghana’s Deputy Minister of Health is a defining moment. It invites reflection not only on her significance but also on the en­during legacy of women in health leadership since the country’s re­turn to constitutional rule in 1992.

The question of why women must lead in health policy is not one of preference—it is one of logic.

Women constitute more than 51 per cent of Ghana’s popula­tion. We represent the majority in health-seeking behaviour, form the bulk of frontline healthcare deliv­ery, and are most affected by public health policies. We are mothers, caregivers, nurses, midwives, and community health workers. And all too often, we bear the consequenc­es when health systems falter.

Yet, leadership within the sector, at ministerial, administrative, and strategic levels—has remained largely male-dominated. How can health systems be truly effective when those shaping them cannot fully relate to the experiences of their largest constituency? When women lead, especially in health, they bring insight, empathy, and grounded perspectives into policy­making spaces.

In July 2024, Ghana passed the long-awaited Affirmative Action (Gender Equality) Act. It aims to ensure: 30 per cent representation of women in decision-making by 2026; 40 per cent by 2028; and 50 per cent parity by 2030.

This legislation is not about favouritism or biasness. It is a strategic correction of structural imbalances that have marginal­ised women for decades. It is an instrument of fairness designed to reflect the realities of a democratic and inclusive society.

However, legislation alone cannot achieve these goals. Laws do not implement themselves. Achieving these targets will require political will, institutional align­ment, adequate resourcing, and continuous public advocacy.

The health sector offers a compelling case for urgency. It is a space where gender disparities have the most tangible consequences from maternal mortality to access to reproductive healthcare, and from frontline burnout to under­representation in leadership roles.

You belong in these rooms. To every young Ghanaian woman in secondary school or university who wonders whether her voice matters in these corridors of influence, I say: it does. You are not too ambitious. Your voice is not too small. And your dreams are not too far-fetched.

Representation is not a buzz­word. It is a pathway to equity, ef­ficiency, and empowerment. When a woman with a stethoscope sits at the policy table, or when a public health worker becomes a minister, the entire system benefits. The world shifts—even if just a little.

While appointments like Dr Ayensu-Danquah’s inspire national pride, they also underscore the fact that representation alone is not the destination. Transformation is.

We need more women in district assemblies, health directorates, research institutions, and regulatory bodies. We must demand polit­ical parties to field more female candidates. Public institutions must be tasked to mentor and promote women intentionally. And society must be sensitised to respect, sup­port, and protect female leadership.

We must also bridge the gap be­tween policy and practice. The Af­firmative Action Act must not sit dormant. Legislative instruments must be developed to enforce it. Budgetary allocations must support it. And stakeholders must measure and report on its impact.

Women have been leading Ghana’s health sector for decades. They have built, served, and saved lives—often without the authority to reform the systems they serve. But today, the tides are shifting.

With the Affirmative Action Act as our roadmap, and women like Dr Grace Ayensu-Danquah as our compass, we are entering a new era—one where health systems are shaped by empathy, informed by lived experience, and guided by leaders who understand the bur­dens and brilliance of womanhood.

Let us not squander this mo­ment. Let us honour it, multiply it, institutionalise it.

Because when women lead in health, the whole nation heals.

The writer is a Justice, Health & Gender Advocate

BY OHEMAA ACHIAA AGYEKUM