Ato Forson announces GH¢3.4bn for Gender Ministry, GH¢2.1bn for School Feeding Programme

The Finance Minister, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, has revealed that the government has allocated GH¢3.4 billion for the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection in the 2027 Budget. This allocation aims to strengthen social protection programmes and support vulnerable individuals and households across the country. A major portion of the funding, GH¢1.1 billion, will be directed towards the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) programme.

This initiative provides financial assistance to extremely poor and vulnerable households to improve their welfare and access to essential services. The School Feeding Programme has been allocated GH¢2.1 billion. This allocation is intended to ensure that hunger does not become a barrier to children's education. The government has also earmarked GH¢40 million for the Social Protection Fund to strengthen support for vulnerable people, complementing existing social protection interventions.

Additionally, GH¢10 million has been allocated to the Domestic Violence Fund and another GH¢10 million to the Child and Human Trafficking Fund. These allocations aim to address domestic violence and support efforts related to child and human trafficking, demonstrating the government's commitment to social protection and services for vulnerable individuals in Ghana.