Government Reaffirms commitment to Partner Traditional Institutions on Social Protection
The Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr. Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to working closely with traditional institutions to strengthen social protection systems, empower women, safeguard children’s rights and improve the livelihoods of vulnerable people.
She said collaboration between government and traditional authorities was essential to addressing social challenges and ensuring that support reached vulnerable individuals and families at the community level.
Dr. Lartey made the remarks in Accra when the Ga Mashie Manyemei Kpee, a group of queen mothers from the Ga Mashie Traditional Area, paid a courtesy call on her to discuss ways of strengthening cooperation between the Ministry and traditional authorities.
The Minister said promoting gender equality, protecting children and advancing social inclusion required the collective efforts of government, traditional leaders, civil society organisations and local communities.
She acknowledged the role of queen mothers in identifying vulnerable people, promoting social cohesion and supporting community based interventions that improve the welfare of women and children.
Dr. Lartey said the Ministry was implementing programmes on women’s economic empowerment, child protection, social welfare, gender equality and support for vulnerable households, adding that the concerns raised by the delegation aligned with the Ministry’s mandate.
She assured the queen mothers of the Ministry’s readiness to explore areas of collaboration and encouraged them to continue engaging with its departments and agencies to develop practical and sustainable community based initiatives.
“The success of social protection interventions depends largely on strong partnerships at the community level, traditional leaders are often the first point of contact for families facing social and economic challenges, she said.
The Queen Mothers appealed for closer collaboration with the Ministry to address social issues affecting women, children and other vulnerable groups in the Ga Mashie Traditional Area.
They said they have established committees on gender, education, welfare and culture to coordinate initiatives aimed at improving the wellbeing of women, children and young people.
They also announced plans to undertake an outreach programme at the Usher Town Maternity Home to donate medical supplies and other essential items to support maternal and neonatal healthcare.
The delegation, led by the Chairperson of the Planning Committee, Naa Amorkor Shika Futru I of Asere Amartse We, identified teenage pregnancy, school dropout, domestic violence, substance abuse and poverty as some of the challenges confronting their communities.
The delegation further requested the Ministry’s technical support for proposals including the establishment of a vocational and skills training centre for women and young people, a youth cooking competition to promote entrepreneurship and the distribution of educational materials to schoolchildren.
Priscilla Osei- Wusu Nimako, ISD
