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NATIONAL
COUNCIL ON WOMEN AND DEVELOPMENT
DECREE, 1975 (NRCD 322)
As amended
ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS
Section
1. Establishment of National
Council on Women and Development.
2. Functions of Council.
3. Composition and Terms of Office
of Members of Council.
4. Filling of Vacancies.
5. Remuneration of Members of
Council.
6. Meeting of Council.
7. Committees of Council.
8. Secretary and Other Officers.
9. Funds.
10. Estimates of Expenditure.
11. Accounts and Audit.
12. Annual Report.
13. Regulations.
14. Interpretation.
IN pursuance of the National
Redemption Council (Establishment)
Proclamation, 1972, this Decree is
hereby made:—
Section 1—Establishment of
National Council on Women and
Development.
There shall be established a
National Council on Women and
Development (in this Decree
referred to as "the Council").
Section 2—Functions of Council.
The functions of the Council are:—
(a) to advise the Government
generally on all matters relating
to full integration of women in
national development at all
levels;
(b) to serve as the official
national body for co-operating and
liaising with national and
international organisations on
matters relating to the status of
women;
(c) to examine and evaluate the
contribution of women in the
economic, social and cultural
fields, and to advise government
as to the specific areas where
participation by women may be
strengthened or initiated;
(d) to study the effect of
customary beliefs, prejudices and
practices on advancement of women
in the education, political and
economic fields, and to report to
Government from time to time;
(e) to devise a programme for the
establishment of machinery and
procedures to make possible the
continuous review and evaluation
of women's integration in the
total development effort at local,
regional and national levels;
(f) to study plans and proposals
for the establishment of
large-scale non-formal education
and training for the purpose of
raising living standards in the
rural and urban communities and
eradicating illiteracy;
(g) to perform such other
functions as the Government may
assign to the Council, or as are
incidental or conducive to the
exercise by the Council of all or
any of the foregoing functions.
Section 3—Composition and Terms of
Office of Members of Council.
(1) The Council shall consist of
the following persons:—
(a) twenty persons, fifteen of
whom shall be women with
competence in areas of public
affairs and women's activities;
(b) a representative of the
Ministry responsible for Education
and Culture;
(c) a representative of the
Ministry responsible for Health;
(d) a representative of the
Ministry responsible for Labour,
Social Welfare and Co-operatives;
(e) a representative of the
Ministry responsible for
Agriculture;
(f) a representative of the
Ministry responsible for Economic
Planning;
(g) a representative of the
Ministry responsible for Foreign
Affairs;
(h) a representative of the
Ministry responsible for
Information;
(i)
a representative of the Ministry
responsible for Finance;
(j) the Attorney-General or his
representative;
(k) a representative of the
Establishment Secretariat.[As
substituted by the National
Council on Women and Development
(Amendment) Decree, 1975 (NRCD
333), s.1]
(2) There shall be a Chairman and
a Vice-Chairman designated by the
Government from among the members
of the Council all of whom shall
be appointed by the National
Redemption Council.
(3) The members of the Council
other than the ex officio members
shall hold office for a term not
exceeding two years but shall be
eligible for re-appointment.
(4) Members of the Council other
than ex officio members may at any
time resign their office by notice
in writing addressed to the
National Redemption Council and
the appointment of any such member
may at any time be terminated by
the National Redemption Council if
it is satisfied that it is in the
public interest so to do.
(5) The office of a member absent
from Ghana for a continuous period
of six months or more shall become
vacant at the end of such period.
Section 4—Filling of Vacancies.
In the event of the resignation or
death of a member, or where the
office of a member becomes vacant
under subsection (5) of section 3
a replacement shall be appointed
for the remainder of his term in
accordance with procedure laid
down in section 3 of the Decree.
Section 5—Remuneration of Members
of Council.
(1) No member of the Council shall
be entitled to any remuneration in
respect of his membership.
(2) The Council may however pay to
members or to other persons
attending meetings of the Council
such travelling and other
allowances out of the funds of the
Council as may be determined by
the Commissioner.
Section 6—Meeting of Council.
(1) The Council shall ordinarily
meet for the despatch of business
at such time and place as the
Council may decide but shall meet
at least once in every three
months.
(2) A meeting may be convened at
any time on the direction of the
Chairman, and shall be convened at
any time on the written request of
not less than two-thirds of the
members of the Council addressed
to the Chairman with a statement
of the matters to be discussed and
in the event of such a request the
Chairman shall convene the meeting
within 30 days of the receipt of
the request.
(3) The Chairman shall preside at
every meeting of the Council and
in his absence the Vice-Chairman
shall preside and in the absence
of both of them any member elected
by the members of the Council
present shall preside.
(4) One-third of the members of
the Council shall constitute a
quorum at any meeting of the
Council.
(5) Questions proposed at meetings
of the Council shall be determined
by a simple majority of members
present and voting and in the
event of equality of votes the
Chairman or the person presiding
shall have a second or casting
vote.
(6) The validity of any
proceedings of the Council shall
not be affected by any vacancy
among its members or by any defect
in their appointment.
(7) The Council may at any time
co-opt any person to act as an
adviser at any of its meetings but
no person so co-opted shall be
entitled to vote at such meetings.
(8) Subject to the other
provisions of this section the
Council may regulate its own
procedure.
Section 7—Committees of Council.
(1) The Council may appoint such
committees consisting of such
persons, whether members of the
Council or not, and upon such
terms as it thinks fit to advise
the Council or exercise any of its
functions.
(2) The Chairman of any committee
appointed under subsection (1) of
this section shall be a member of
the Council.
(3) The Council may also seek
advice, or otherwise consult any
public body in the discharge of
its functions and any such public
body shall give such advice or
render to the Council such
assistance as the Council may
require.
Section 8—Secretary and Other
Officers.
(1) The Council shall have an
Executive Secretary who shall be
appointed by the National
Redemption Council upon such terms
as it may determine.
(2) The Secretary shall under the
direction and supervision of the
Council be responsible for the
day-to-day management and
administration of the affairs of
the Council.
(3) The Secretary shall arrange
the business for and cause to be
recorded and kept minutes of all
proceedings of the Council and
shall also perform such other
functions of the Council as the
Council may assign to him.
(4) The Council shall also have
such other staff as may be
necessary for the efficient
conduct of the functions of the
Council.
(5) The Secretary and other
members of the staff of the
Council shall be public officers.
Section 9—Funds.
(1) The funds of the Council shall
include:—
(a) any grant received from
Government by the Council for the
discharge of its functions, such
grants being charged on the
Consolidated Fund;
(b) any moneys accruing to the
Council in the course of the
performance of its functions under
this Decree;
(c) any loans granted by the
Government or any banking
institution; and
(d) gifts and bequests.
(2) All sums of money received on
account of the Council may be paid
into such bank or banks as may be
approved by the Council for the
credit of the Council's general
current or deposit account, so
however, that the Council may
invest as it deems fit, any moneys
not required for current use.
Section 10—Estimates of
Expenditure.
The Council shall receive
estimates of expenditure for each
financial year from the Secretary
appointed under section 8 (1) of
this Decree and shall process such
estimates and submit them to the
Government for approval through
the Commissioner.
Section 11—Accounts and Audit.
(1) The Council shall—
(a) cause proper accounts and
other records in relation thereto
to be kept;
(b) prepare an annual statement of
accounts in such form and
containing such particulars as the
Auditor-General may from time to
time direct, or as may be required
to satisfy its undertakings or
engagements.
(2) The Accounts of the Council
shall be audited annually by the
Auditor-General, who shall make a
report thereon to the Government.
Section 12—Annual Report.
(1) The Council shall annually,
not later than six months after
the end of its financial year,
prepare and submit through the
Commissioner to the Government, a
report on its activities during
the preceding year.
(2) The financial year of the
Council shall be the same as that
of the Government.
Section 13—Regulations.
The Commissioner may by
legislative instrument make such
regulations on the recommendations
of the Council as the Commissioner
may think fit for purposes of
giving full effect to the
provisions of this Decree.
Section 14—Interpretation.
In this Decree—
"Commissioner" means the
Commissioner responsible for
Foreign Affairs.
Made this 2nd day of April, 1975.
COLONEL I. K. ACHEAMPONG
Chairman of the National
Redemption Council
Date of Gazette Notification: 8th
April, 1975.
amended by
NATIONAL COUNCIL ON WOMEN AND
DEVELOPMENT (AMENDMENT) DECREE,
1975 (NRCD 333)1 |
