DEVELOPMENT OF NATIONAL ROADMAP FOR MAINSTREAMING GENDER INTO SOCIAL PROTECTION PROGRAMMING AND DELIVERY

A one-day stakeholders’ workshop to develop a national roadmap for mainstreaming gender into social protection programming and delivery was organized in Accra on Wednesday, 22^nd February 2023.

The Social Protection Directorate (SPD) under the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MoGCSP) in collaboration with UNICEF is developing a National Roadmap for mainstreaming gender into Social Protection Programming and Delivery.

The overall objective is to build consensus among a range of national and international stakeholders on key entry points to move towards a gender and shock-responsive social protection system as envisioned by the National Social protection policy (2015).

 One of the major strategic imperatives identified by the National Social Protection Policy (NSPP) is the mainstreaming of gender in social protection programming and delivery (NSPP 2015).

It also aims to use gender-sensitive instruments during program design, monitoring, data collection, and evaluation to guarantee that Ghana’s social protection systems are attentive to the needs of women.

The consultative workshop concludes the zonal interactions, which were held in Kumasi and Tamale, respectively.

The Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Hon. Lariba Zuweira Abudu said the National Gender Policy, which is currently under review outlines the objective of mainstreaming gender, women’s empowerment and social protection concerns into the national development process to improve the social, legal, civic, political, economic and cultural conditions of the people of Ghana.

She indicated that social protection is a fundamental drive towards gender equity and equality adding that the Ministry has taken bold measures to implement and ensure effective coordination of social protection interventions to empower the most vulnerable persons in the Ghanaian society.

The growth of women is nevertheless hampered by problems including poverty, climate change, conflict, urbanization, irregular migration, and detrimental socio-cultural practices, according to Hon. Lariba, despite government’s commitment to gender mainstreaming and equality.

She therefore called for a more conceited effort to strengthen our social protection systems to be more gender-sensitive to shock responses.

According to Pauliina Sarvilahti, OiC Deputy Representative and Chief of Social Policy and Inclusion at UNICEF, social protection is now more crucial than ever due to the current environment of rising living expenses and the effects of the worldwide economic crises.

She thanked the Ghanaian government for its renewed commitment to the country’s social protection challenges, which has led to plans to boost LEAP payments in the State Budget for 2023.

Global evidence she said has shown the potential role of social protection schemes in improving the lives of vulnerable and poor women and girls and in reducing gender gaps in education, nutrition, health and economic security.

In order to strengthen social protection initiatives in the nation, Pauliina Sarvilahti vowed UNICEF’s ongoing commitment to collaborate with the Government, Development Partners, Traditional Leaders, CSOs, and the Media Participants in the workshop, which included experts from a variety of sectors, came from the Greater Accra, Eastern, and Volta Regions. Dr. Afisah Zakariah , the MoGCSP’s Chief Director, was in attendance

Source: MoGCSP