Ghana shifts from advocacy to enforcement on gender equity, disability inclusion

Ghana has transitioned from advocating for gender equity and disability inclusion to enforcing those principles, ensuring they are legally recognized as social protection entitlements. Dr Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, the Minister of Gender, Children, and Social Protection, announced this significant shift during the Government Accountability Series in Accra.

The passage of the Social Protection Act, 2025 (Act 1148), and its accompanying Regulations, L.I. 2521, has established the Ghana National Household Registry as the sole targeting mechanism for social protection programs and created a dedicated Social Protection Fund.

Under the newly implemented Affirmative Action Gender Equity Act, the Ministry has convened a Gender Equity Committee and Secretariat, and their accompanying Regulations, L.I. 2522, are now in effect. The Ministry has sensitized 2,321 stakeholders about their obligations under the Act and received compliance reports from 47 institutions, including government ministries, metropolitan, municipal, and district assemblies, as well as private sector organizations.

These institutions are legally required to take action on gender equity, with monitoring tools in place to ensure accountability.

Moreover, 37 sensitization programs have reached nearly 11,000 individuals on issues such as sexual and gender-based violence, child marriage, and harmful cultural practices. In the realm of disability inclusion, Cabinet approved amendments to the Persons with Disability Act, 2006, aligning it with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability.

This reform has been long-awaited by the disability community, and 19,760 Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) have benefited directly from the Disability Common Fund across 208 metropolitan, municipal, and district assemblies. Additionally, sensitization programs on disability-inclusive disaster risk management have been conducted in 11 regions.

The Ministry, in partnership with the Ghana Education Service, is formalizing the employment of 272 PWD graduates in the GES and has procured ICT equipment for seven special schools through the Ghana Digital Acceleration Project.