ActionAid Ghana backs Journalism for Social Justice and Sustainable Development: Sponsors 2026 Regional GJA Awards
ActionAid Ghana is strengthening its strategic partnership with the media through sponsorship of selected categories at the 2026 Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) Regional Awards in the Northern, Bono and Upper East Regions.
The sponsorship forms part of ActionAid Ghana’s broader commitment to social justice, gender equality, climate justice and inclusive development, while recognising the critical role of journalism in shaping public understanding, amplifying community voices and strengthening accountability.
For ActionAid Ghana, the investment goes beyond recognising excellence in journalism. It is part of a deliberate approach to strategic media relations and public-interest communication, supporting journalists to bring issues affecting communities into wider public discourse.
Investing in journalism that advances social justice
ActionAid Ghana currently engages a Press Corps of approximately 70 reporters across six regions, reflecting the organisation’s sustained investment in media relations and interest in building strong relationships with journalists who report on issues of social importance.
Through this network, ActionAid Ghana seeks to connect community experiences, programme evidence and policy conversations, ensuring that issues affecting women, girls and marginalised communities receive sustained visibility.
The sponsorship of the regional GJA Awards complements this approach by recognising reporting that contributes to public understanding of critical development issues.
Supporting gender, climate and sustainable livelihoods reporting
In the Northern and Upper East Regions, ActionAid Ghana is sponsoring the Gender Reporting category. This reflects its commitment to advancing gender equality and encouraging journalism that brings greater visibility to the rights, experiences and leadership of women and girls.
In the Bono Region, ActionAid Ghana is sponsoring three categories:
- Climate Change/Green Transition – 1 award
- Agroecology/Agribusiness – 1 award
- Overall Best Reporter – 1 award
These categories align with ActionAid Ghana’s focus on climate justice, sustainable livelihoods, resilient food systems and community-led solutions.
Climate change and food-system challenges increasingly affect livelihoods and community resilience. Supporting quality reporting in these areas can help bring local realities and solutions into broader policy and public conversations.
Aligned with Active Citizenship for Social Justice
The sponsorship is aligned with ActionAid Ghana’s Country Strategy Paper VII (2023–2028), Active Citizenship for Social Justice, which seeks to strengthen people’s ability to claim their rights, participate in decisions that affect their lives and hold institutions accountable.
As a social justice organisation, ActionAid believes that Journalism provides an important platform through which citizens can access information, engage public issues and bring community concerns to the attention of decision-makers.
Affirming AAG commitment, John Nkaw, Country Director, said the organisation sees the partnership as an investment in the wider ecosystem that supports informed citizenship and accountability.
“This sponsorship is an investment in more than journalism excellence; it is an investment in the public conversations that shape our society. When journalists investigate inequality, amplify community experiences and bring issues affecting women, girls and marginalised groups into the public domain, they contribute to informed citizenship and accountability. This is closely aligned with our commitment to Active Citizenship for Social Justice.”~ John Nkaw, Country Director.
ActionAid Ghana’s support for the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) Regional Awards in the Northern, Bono and Upper East Regions underscores its commitment to strengthening regional journalism as a catalyst for social accountability, inclusive development and sustainable change.
Through their proximity to communities, regional journalists play a critical role in bringing local development priorities, challenges and solutions into national conversations. Their reporting helps spotlight critical issues, including climate vulnerability, gender inequality, sustainable livelihoods and access to essential public services, while amplifying the voices and experiences of communities.
By supporting the GJA Regional Awards, ActionAid Ghana seeks to recognise and promote ethical, evidence-based and people-centred journalism that contributes to informed public discourse, accountability and inclusive development. This partnership also advances SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) by strengthening collaboration between civil society and the media in pursuit of sustainable development.
The initiative reflects ActionAid Ghana’s broader commitment to building strategic media partnerships, amplifying community voices and advancing social justice, gender equality and environmental sustainability towards a more just and equitable Ghana.
Written by Jacqueline Parditey