Otiko Djaba takes fight against domestic violence and women issues to UN

Ghana’s Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Hon Otiko Afisah Djaba has taken the fight against domestic violence, discrimination against women and other women-based issues to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women at the U.N Headquarters in New York.

In a press briefing after the two-week UN gathering, she said:

“Ghana and Africa will not allow our beliefs and taboos to deter us from being game changers”.

She revealed that participants at the UNCSW were encouraged to make free education key to increase access for females with issues of widowhood rites, witchcraft accusations, taboos and all negative and harmful practices should be addressed by Ghana, even as a lot more was being done.

Other Speakers at the event were Dr. Nana Appiantua IV, Nifahemaa of Assin Fosu who presented on ‘The rural woman as a game changer in Ghana’s development: Perspectives from a rural woman’. Ms. Christina Kwangwari, of Action Aid Zimbabwe who presented on the ‘Burden of unpaid Care Work on Women and Girls in Ghana: the role of Government in the redistribution and reduction of care work’ and the Chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Gender, Dr. Appiah-Kubi who gave the strongest assurance that the Parliament of Ghana is ever ready to advance policies and laws in favour of gender equality.

The Minister also officially introduced Mrs. Gertrude Oforiwa Fefoame, Ghana’s nominee for election to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability (UNCRPD).

Hon. Otiko Djaba led the Ghana delegation to attend all events organized by Governments, Institutions, Development Partners and other internationally recognized Civil Society Organizations such as the United Nations, UNFPA, African Women Leaders Network, UNAIDS, Nigerian Mission, South African Development Community and Sight Savers among others, and was a panelist in several of the events and also made statements on behalf of Ghana.

She joined the UNCSW Commission on the Status of Women to reaffirm the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Optional Protocols.



The Commission reiterated other relevant conventions and treaties, such as the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

The draft Agreed Conclusions also urged key actors to undertake the following specific actions to address the challenges on delivering on commitments on existing obligations.