Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection outlines strategic measures to improve lives

Otiko Afisa Djaba

The Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Otiko Afisa Djaba says the new government is committed to ensuring  the effective implementation of all legal and policy frameworks that provide opportunities for marginalized and vulnerable groups to be effectively involved in national development.

Speaking at a forum on Inclusive Governance in Ghana, organised by the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), she said one key policy the ministry is committed to implementing is the National Social Protection Policy.

“This policy aims to deliver a well-coordinated, inter-sectoral protection system which enables people to live in dignity through income support, livelihood empowerment and improved access to systems of basic services,” she said.

She also said the new administration will promote the well being of Ghanaians through an integrated platform of effective social assistance and aspires to mitigate and reduce vulnerabilities for all, close the inequality gap and ensure total inclusion for all Ghanaians.

“This new administration is committed to empowering Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) by implementing inclusive education and equal employment opportunity policies for appointment into public offices,” she added.

Madam Djaba further noted that there will be an improved data collection for PWDs to update statistics for better and efficient monitoring and evaluation.

Adding to this, the Ministry will adopt a critical and aggressive approach of poverty eradication and social support programmes for the vulnerable in society.

It will provide a retirement scheme for farmers and members of small scale business associations, she pointed out.

The aged will not be left behind as the Ministry will provide them with a Freedom Pass to enable them ride for free on all public transport and there will also be a comprehensive review of SSNIT’s investments and costs to ensure its financial sustainability.

She gave the assurance that the Affirmative Bill, which seeks 30 per cent representation and participation of women in governance and decision-making will be passed.

The Ministry, she says seeks to expand the school feeding programme from 1.7 million to three million.

“The Ministry will also work at reducing the ‘kayayei’ (Head–poters) phenomenon by; boosting the economic status of their districts of origin in order to curtail migration.

And with the one district, one factory and one village one dam policy, we will provide alternate life skills training and seed capital and make available hostel facilities for them,” she said.

By Pamela Ofori-Boateng

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