ActionAid Ghana explores more collaboration opportunities for rights and social protection advocacy at the Gender Minister's stakeholder meeting.

The meeting was held to strengthen collaboration and enhance the impact of the Ministry. The new Minister for Gender, Children, and Social Protection, Dr. Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, was officially introduced to Civil Society Organizations (CSOs).

Participating in the meeting were representatives from ActionAid Ghana and several like-minded NGOs, who engaged with the new minister on issues concerning women and children in Ghana. Key topics discussed included: Women's Development Bank; providing financial support for women entrepreneurs; Social Protection: strengthening systems to reduce vulnerability among women and children; Child Trafficking and FGM: reaffirming a zero-tolerance stance towards these issues and discussing preventive measures; Free Tertiary Education for Persons with Disabilities: planning is underway with the Finance and Education Ministries for implementation within 120 days (approximately four months); and Access to Justice for Sexual Assault Survivors: addressing financial barriers that hinder legal action.

The ministry acknowledged that while Ghana has made progress over the years, there is still much work to be done. 

The Ministry also expressed it plans decentralise the school feeding program to enhance quality control and accountability; emphasizing, “If you cannot feed it to your children, and if you cannot eat it yourself, don’t feed it to others.”

Additionally, the gender ministry disclosed its intention to embark on a resource mapping initiative to identify who is operating where, ensuring that policies and programs are effectively coordinated to minimize duplication. It further stressed that, it would prioritise building the capacities of department and agency heads to enable them to undertake projects that would reduce costs and maximise results across all sectors. She pledged to work closely with other ministries to achieve their goals when necessary.

All the CSOs present took turns to outline their advice, expectations, and potential areas for collaboration, pledging their continuous support to the Minister in achieving her objectives. This engagement underscored the importance of proper collaboration to eradicate violence, alleviate poverty, and ensure better, more dignified lives for women and children in Ghana.

In a separate meeting with the gender director, ActionAid Ghana representative further outlined key issues requiring urgent attention. The Country Director, John Nkaw, outlined some of ActionAid Ghana's interventions and reiterated the organization’s readiness to collaborate with social and women-related agencies in Ghana. ActionAid Ghana also pledged its support to the Ministry, assuring them of its commitment to work together.

The gender ministry affirmed it commitment to collaborating with civil society organisations, stating, “As a Ministry, we are poised to continue working with you and improve upon our efforts.”

At ActionAid Ghana, we pride ourselves on collaboration and partnerships, as we believe that success is best achieved together, reflected in our theme for the Country Strategy Paper VII: Active Citizenship for Social Justice.