Government is empowering women, girls, young people and the vulnerable - Cynthia Morrison

The Gender, Children and Social Protection Minister, Honorable Cynthia Maamle Morrison has revealed government of Ghana's policies and programs aimed at empowering women, girls, the young and the vulnerable.

She made this known, when she addressed the 63rd Session of the Commission on the Status of Women on March 12, 2019, at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

“Government of Ghana is building and implementing social systems to promote equity and access to the needed infrastructure and services aimed at empowering and promoting the total development of women and girls”, the Minister said.

Social Protection Policy, National Gender Policy, School Feeding Policy, Free Compulsory Basic Education, Free Senior High School, Children's Act, Disability Act, National Health Insurance Act, National Plan of Action on Elimination of Worst Form of Child Labor, National Framework on Early Child Marriage and Strategic Plan to Address Teenage Pregnancy are legislations carved to protect and promote women, girls, the young and the vulnerable.

Free SHS, made provisions for over three hundred thousand students in 2017 and 2018, National Youth Employment gives skills and training to the youth to make them employable, GETFUND, provides infrastructure and scholarships to students, Cash Transfer Program helping the poor has almost two million beneficiaries, MASLOC, supporting micro-businesses and others are focused on helping the vulnerable, young people, girls and women, Honorable Morrison espoused.

The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) is the principal global intergovernmental body exclusively dedicated to the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women.

A functional commission of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), it was established by Council resolution 11(II) of 21 June 1946.

The CSW is instrumental in promoting women’s rights, documenting the reality of women’s lives throughout the world, and shaping global standards on gender equality and the empowerment of women.

The sixty-third session of the Commission (CSW63) started from 11 and will end on 22 March 2019.

The Commission will address as its priority theme ‘Social protection systems, access to public services and sustainable infrastructure for gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls’.

In addition, it will evaluate progress in the implementation of the agreed conclusions from the sixtieth session (2016) on ‘Women’s empowerment and the link to sustainable development’.

The Commission will also discuss a focus area, ‘Women and girls of African descent’. The ten-day session will include a ministerial segment with round tables and other high-level interactive dialogues, a general discussion, as well as interactive and expert panel discussions.