MOGCSP HOLDS 2022 ANNUAL SUMMIT

The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MOGCSP) with the support from World Bank, UNICEF and USAID have held its 2022 Annual Summit in Accra under the theme: ‘Strengthening Resource Mobilization for Effective Social Service Delivery’,

The two-day event which started on 15th November and ended on 16th November, 2022 at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC) sought to solicit ideas and inputs from stakeholders on how to mobilize revenue to augment Government resources to help improve existing social protection interventions in order to reach out to more vulnerable groups in the country.

It was also to update participants and Partners on the performance of MoGCSP and status of the Social Sector Funding in 2022.

In a welcome address read on behalf of the Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources /Caretaker Minister for MoGCSP, Hon. Cecilia Abena Dapaah, the Chief Director of the Ministry, Dr. Afisah Zakariah commended the Partners and the Stakeholders for aiding the Ministry in the fight for the poor and the vulnerable in the country.

According to Dr. Afisah Zakariah the Economic situation in the country has compelled the Government to take stringent measures limiting resources available to the Ministry hence the demand of the sector to identify alternative sources of revenue to enable the delivery of its mandate effectively.

She noted that the sector Ministry has worked tirelessly to roll out critical activities aimed at strengthening the policy and legal environment for gender equality, promoting and protecting the welfare of children and persons living with disability.

‘The hard work of the Ministry and its partners has ensured that Ghana continues to stay on the tier two list of the US Department of Labour Trafficking in Persons Report (TIP),’ she added.

Touching on some of the achievement’s of the Ministry, the Chief Director indicated that the Ministry is reviewing the Social Protection Strategic Plan, Early Childhood Care and Development Policy, the National Gender Policy, and the Domestic Violence Policy among others to ensure that all emerging issues affecting the vulnerable in the society are mainstreamed for effective social services delivery.

The Chairperson for the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Gender and Children, Hon. Francisca Oteng (MP) on her part congratulated the Ministry and its Development Partners for organising such an Annual Summit.

She intimated that the Summit would help the committee to be abreast with current happenings which will enable them to push harder in Parliament on issues affecting the Ministry for the needed attention and possible redress.

‘ I look forward to participate in the Summit and gather opinions on how resources could be mobilized to improve and sustain social services in the country’ she emphasized.

Addressing Stakeholders on the second day of the summit, the Deputy Minister/Minister Designate of the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Hon. Lariba Zuweira Abudu (MP) said the Summit was instituted to access the performance and challenges of the Ministry and to also enable the Ministry to collaborate with stakeholders to improve service delivery.

She made a clarion call to the Government to review the budget allocated to the Ministry in order to effectively fulfil its mandate by protecting and promoting the wellbeing of the vulnerable.

In a statement read on behalf of the Chief Director of the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr. Afisah Zakariah, the Ag. Director, PPMED Madam Florence Ayisi Quartey advised stakeholders to give critical attention to ‘Resource Mobilization’ because countries that have recorded major successes in social service delivery made substantial investments in that sector.

She urged the Ministry to leverage efforts, ideas and inputs from partners and stakeholders to achieve the goal of Strengthening Resource Mobilization for Effective Social Service Delivery.

The UNICEF Acting Representative in Ghana, Mr. Fiachra McAsey in a brief remark applauded the Ministry for prioritizing Child and Social Protection issues in the various communities in the country.

He charged the leadership of MoGCSP to work with the Ministry of Finance to develop a sustainable financing plan for social protection to ensure the allocated budget is released on time.

Mr. Fiachra McAsey called on all to reaffirm their commitment to the child’s rights and the well-being in order to attain the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.

Source: MoGCSP