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2nd Lady Samira Bawumia grabs Climate Clock award
The Second Lady, Mrs Samira Bawumia, has received the pres¬tigious Climate Clock Award for her outstanding efforts in addressing the missing gap in climate conversa¬tions and empowering African women and children.
The aim was to raise awareness about how much time we have left to save our planet and to show how we can use this number to ignite climate action.
She was recognised by the Climate Clock Initiative (CCI) for her out¬standing contributions in organising the Africa Women and Children Con¬ference (AFRIWOCC), which served as a critical platform for stakeholders and experts to discuss issues concern¬ing women and children in Africa, bridging the gap in climate conversa¬tion.
The CCI is a global call for Clock Change Action, which is a clock that shows the time left for climate correction of a certain level and a symbol of urgency and action across the globe.
Receiving the Clock, Mrs Bawumia called on stakeholders to make con¬scious and deliberate efforts to create space for women and young people’s voices, especially on climate change, to be heard.
“You cannot make progress without leveraging the full resources of the majority of our population who are women and children, especially in decision making,” she said.
According to her, climate change was increasingly inducing migration and heightening political insecurity threats across the sub-region and further impacting economic stability, especially women and children.
She said climate action must be “holistic, inclusive and intersectional” in ad¬dressing the diversities and challenges faced by all, especially women and children, from differ¬ent backgrounds, includ¬ing those in rural areas, urban centres, indigenous communities and persons with disabilities.
Presenting the clock, a Climate Change Activist and Lead Organiser of Climate Clock Ghana, Ms Portia Adu-Mensah, commended the Second Lady for taking the right initiatives to raise aware¬ness and rallying public support for climate action.
“Mrs Samira Bawumia’s commitment to connecting African women, chil¬dren and leaders through the AFRI-WOCC creates an invaluable oppor¬tunity for marginalised voices to be heard,” she said.
She said climate change was an ur¬gent global challenge that demanded coordinated efforts from leaders and citizens.
Ms Adu-Mensah said climate change continues to pose unprecedented challenges; therefore there was the need to include everyone, especially women and children, in the discourse on climate change, striving towards a sustainable and equitable world for all.
She said there was the need to build capacity and raise awareness about the importance of their involve¬ment in climate change initiatives by encouraging women and children to take up leadership positions and promote their representation in the decision-making processes at regional and national levels.
Ms Adu-Mensah said providing financial support and opportunities to women-led and child-focused climate change initiatives was vital in em¬powering them to make a meaningful impact.
“As an advocate, I strongly believe in the importance of including the voices and perspectives of children and women in decision-making pro¬cesses. It is essential to equip them with knowledge and skills related to climate change, renewable energy, and sustainable practices, empow¬ering them to actively contribute to climate change action,” she said.
ByAgnes Opoku Sarpong
A member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Dr. Sammy Ayeh has picked up nomination forms to contest for the position of Deputy National Communications Officer position.
Announcing his intention, Dr. Ayeh said he is offering himself to help communicate the party’s vision clearly and connect its message with the aspirations of Ghanaians.
He expressed deep gratitude to the party’s National Communications Officer, Lawyer Sammy Gyamfi, describing him as an able leader on whose shoulders he has risen.
“His exceptional leadership, mentorship and confidence in me have shaped my journey and strengthened my resolve to serve,” Dr. Ayeh stated.
He said if elected, he will seek to build on that foundation by strengthening research-driven communication, empowering grassroots communicators, and enhancing strategic media engagement.
Dr. Ayeh humbly appealed to party members and supporters for their support.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
The Data Protection Commission has called on the Minority Caucus in Parliament, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, JoyNews and other media houses to protect the personal information of 1,964 Ghanaians evacuated from South Africa.
In a press release issued on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, the Commission expressed concern over the public disclosure of the evacuees’ personal details, including their names, signatures and records of financial assistance received.
It warned that making such information public could expose the affected individuals to identity theft, fraud and other forms of harm, especially given the threats to their safety that some of them may have faced.
The Commission explained that the 1992 Constitution protects the dignity and privacy of every individual. It also cited the Data Protection Act, 2012 (Act 843), which sets out rules for the lawful collection, use and disclosure of personal information.
While acknowledging the importance of transparency, parliamentary oversight, the right to information and press freedom, the Commission stressed that these principles do not automatically justify the unrestricted publication of personal details.
It said the disclosure of the records by the Minority Caucus, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, JoyNews and other media organisations must be assessed based on the law, the purpose of the disclosure and the privacy rights of the individuals involved.
The Commission further noted that although the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Parliament are registered data controllers in good standing, their registration does not exempt them from their legal responsibilities under the Data Protection Act.
It has therefore urged all the parties involved to take appropriate steps to protect the affected individuals, including immediately restricting access to or removing personal details from publicly available records where their continued disclosure is not legally justified.
The Commission announced plans to conduct a regulatory review to determine whether the disclosures had a lawful basis, what safeguards were applied and whether the privacy rights of the evacuees had been adequately protected.
It said it would engage the relevant parties as part of the review and take appropriate regulatory action if any breach of the law is established.
The Commission reiterated that protecting personal information and respecting human dignity must remain central to efforts to promote public accountability.
By: Jacob Aggrey
