Celebrating world children’s day 2024 'with MOGCSP summit'

Ghana celebrated World Children's Day at Labadi Beach Hotel on Thursday, 21 November, focusing on child rights amidst the escalating climate crisis. The events in Ghana saw selected children from various regions leading discussions on the significant impact of climate change on children's lives and futures.

The discussions covered various critical issues, including the direct health impacts of climate change on children, such as increased physical dangers, waterborne diseases, and malnutrition.

The celebration also highlighted collaboration efforts between the government, development partners, civil society organizations, and the private sector, focusing on advocacy, partnerships, and the 2024 MOGCSP summit.

In her welcome address, the Chief Director for Gender, Children, and Social Protection, Dr. Afisah Zakariah, who, alongside various stakeholders, is jointly holding a two-day summit, used the occasion to address the obstacles facing children in Ghana by formulating child-friendly laws, child representation, and legislative oversight to ensure child rights.

She stated that the ministry was currently reviewing its Social Protection Strategic Plan, the Early Childhood Care and Development Policy, the Affirmative Action Act 2024, the National Gender Policy, and the Domestic Violence Policy, among others, to ensure that all emerging issues affecting the vulnerable in society were mainstreamed for effective social services delivery.

The summit, themed “Promoting Equality and Inclusive Development through Affirmative Action: Gender Equality Act 2024,” brought together stakeholders, including development partners.

The objective of the summit is to have a broad understanding and agreement on the key priority issues facing social protection and child protection programs and update their partners and the general public on work done in areas of gender equality and women empowerment.

Dr. Zakariah said that in 2022, the ministry was one of the least-funded social sector government organizations, receiving less than 0.6 percent of the total government expenditure, indicating a decreasing prioritization of social and child protection financing against the increasing levels of poverty and inequality in the country. However, in 2024, things have changed as the government has increased its budget, bringing major improvements.

The Director, in her encounter with the media, said the country had made significant investments in key social protection and child protection programs, resulting in improvements in the lives of the less privileged.