WIEGO ENGAGES GENDER MINISTER ON IMPROVING INFORMAL WORKERS’ WELFARE

A delegation from the global non-governmental organization ‘Women in Informal Employment: Globalizing and Organizing’ (WIEGO) engaged with the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Hon. Dr. Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, to explore collaborative avenues for improving the welfare of informal workers, particularly women, in Ghana.

Led by Ms. Dorcas Ansah, WIEGO’s Accra Focal Cities Coordinator, the delegation emphasized WIEGO’s commitment to advancing the rights and welfare of women in the informal economy through policy advocacy, research, and stakeholder engagement.

Ms. Ansah highlighted the organization’s global footprint, noting that WIEGO operates in over 15 countries—including Ghana—with a focus on enhancing health and safety, improving access to care services, and promoting social protection for workers such as head porters (kayayei), waste pickers, street vendors, and domestic workers.

She further expressed WIEGO’s interest in contributing technical expertise and sharing best practices to support the Ministry’s efforts.

The discussions underscored key areas including the need for improved coordination among stakeholders, comprehensive data on informal workers to guide policy interventions, and the provision of child care services in market spaces to support working mothers.

Particular attention was given to the need for day care centres in markets to enable mothers to enroll children aged 0–3 years, thereby easing the burden on working parents and promoting early childhood development.

In her remarks, Hon. Dr. Agnes Naa Momo Lartey commended WIEGO for its strong advocacy and dedication to informal workers’ rights. She expressed the Ministry’s readiness to collaborate with WIEGO and similar organizations to advance inclusive and gender-sensitive social protection systems.

“We are open to leveraging your expertise and supporting your initiatives, especially as we pursue inclusive development that leaves no one behind,” the Minister stated.

She added that a day care centre has recently been launched at the Ministry to support working mothers and demonstrate the government’s commitment to practical solutions that address women’s needs in the workplace.

Source: MoGCSP