The State Interests and Governance Authority (SIGA) has reaffirmed its commitment to advancing gender equity in the public sector following its participation in the second edition of the Conference for Women in Leadership in the Public Sector.
The conference, organised by the Public Services Commission and held on Wednesday, 18 February 2026, at the Labadi Beach Hotel in Accra, brought together distinguished women leaders and senior public officials to deliberate on strengthening women’s leadership within the framework of Ghana’s national development agenda. Held under the theme “Breaking Barriers, Building Impact: Advancing Women’s Leadership in the Resetting Ghana Agenda,” the forum underscored the critical role of women leaders in driving governance reforms and institutional transformation.
Representing SIGA at the conference was the General Manager (Operations), Madam Millicent Atuguba, who attended on behalf of the Director-General, Professor Michael Kpessa-Whyte. In her remarks, she noted that the growing appointment of women to key government positions reflects confidence in their competence and capacity, adding that such confidence must be matched with discipline, preparedness, and results to strengthen the institutions entrusted to them.
“The appointment of women to key positions across government signals confidence in our competence and capacity. That confidence must be matched by discipline, preparedness, and results. We must strengthen the institutions entrusted to us,” she stated.
Delivering the keynote address, the Special Guest of Honour, H.E. Vice-President Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, called on public service agencies to adopt gender-responsive recruitment and promotion systems, implement flexible and family-friendly workplace policies, and reward excellence based on merit. While acknowledging the progress made in advancing women’s representation, she noted that structural, cultural, and institutional barriers continue to limit women’s progression into senior leadership roles.
The Vice-President reiterated the Government’s commitment to gender equity under the leadership of President John Dramani Mahama. She referenced the President’s directive to public service agencies to ensure a minimum of 30% female representation in leadership positions by the end of the year, increasing to 50% by 2030.
“This directive is a deliberate policy measure to advance the objectives of the Affirmative Action Act and institutionalise gender equity as a cornerstone of our development agenda,” she stated.
Also addressing the conference, the Deputy Chief of Staff (Administration) at the Office of the President, Nana Oye Bampoe Addo, described the President’s Reset Agenda as a “gender agenda.” Citing data from the Public Services Commission as of August 2025, she indicated that women currently occupy 26% of managerial roles in the public sector, an improvement, but still below national targets. She encouraged women in the public service to practise transformational leadership, uphold integrity, resist discrimination and stereotypes, and actively engage traditional leaders and communities.
The summit featured panel discussions and knowledge-sharing sessions that provided practical insights on women’s leadership and the implementation of affirmative action policies.
SIGA’s participation reaffirmed the Authority’s commitment to promoting gender parity across Specified Entities in support of national development objectives.