Gender Minister assures Development Partners of government's support

Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Hon Sarah Adwoa Safo has assured the Ministry's Development Partners of government's commitment to ensuring gender equality and equal opportunity for the vulnerable in society.

Heads of Cooperation of UK AID, the World Bank, the United Nation's Resident Coordinator and Country Directors of the United Nations Population Fund, United Nation's Children Fund and UNESCO had interaction with the recently appointed Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, to discuss issues pertaining to the Ministry and ensuring their commitment towards helping the Nation attain Gender equality and offer adequate support for the vulnerable.

Hon. Sarah Adwoa Safo applauded the Ministry's development partners for their support of the government's covid 19 relief efforts and assured them of the government's commitment towards ensuring equal opportunities for all Ghanaians.

"I express my deepest gratitude to our development partners who have come together to support the government's covid 19 relief efforts and for their ongoing support to strengthen the various efforts of the Ministry. Your dedication to all our endeavours has been critical to the development of the Nation and I assure you that this government is committed to ensure Gender equality and equal opportunities for all persons especially the most vulnerable in our society" she mentioned.

She also reiterated the need for support to scale up the Nation's social protection program to reach the targeted number of 1.5 million Ghanaians and 350 000 households.

"We are as always counting on your support to scale up the social safety program which will benefit the poorest households in all regions of Ghana by: providing cash transfers to 350,000 households through the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) reaching 1.5 million individuals" she said.

The Member of Parliament for Dome-Kwabenya also encouraged the development partners to support the Ministry in pushing legislative frameworks that will strengthen the rights of the vulnerable in the country.

"This year, our aim is to ensure that the Affirmative Action and Aged Persons Bills are passed and the Ghana Social Protection Policy and Bill reviewed. It is our hope that you will aid us push these bills and other legislative frameworks to safeguard and protect the rights of the vulnerable in the country." she emphasised.

She assured them of her commitment to enhance inter-ministerial and inter-agency collaboration especially between her Ministry and the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development and the Ministry of Health.

The development partners on their part assured the Minister of their utmost commitment to support the Government's quest to protect the most vulnerable and to ensure the completion of the registration of the extreme poor under Ghana National Household Registry to cover all 16 regions whilst acknowledging that only 5 regions have so far been covered.

The Ministry under Hon Sarah Adwoa Safo is looking to enhance its relationship with the development partners who over the years have worked in collaboration with the Ministry in enhancing issues relating to the vulnerable in society by offering support for specific programs and projects.