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NETRIGHT launches gender mainstreaming standards policy
The Network for Women’s Right in Ghana (NETRIGHT), an economic, justice, advocacy network has launched a Gender Mainstreaming Standards (GMS) policy document aimed at ensuring that gender-based issues are well tackled during crisis.
The document which was launched at a stakeholders’ meeting in Accra was necessitated by the difficulties encountered by women, children and some marginalised groups during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 and will serve as a policy guideline for governments.
It will also help government to identify the needs of these critical groups of people in society during pandemics and offer guidance on how best to respond to their needs.
There was also a discussion on how to get 40 per cent of women to take up leadership roles in the financial sector.
The forum brought together diverse stakeholders including gender focused Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), women’s rights groups, trade associations, academia, private sector and development partners.
Mrs Bernice Sam (Esq), a Consultant, said the needs of women, children and some marginalised groups such as the disabled, were not catered for although there were interventions in place by the government in response to the pandemic in the areas of healthcare, education, social protection, formal and informal sector.
She said in the area of social protection, women who were abused could not report because of the lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic.
On interventions in the informal sector, Mrs Sam applauded the government for the loans given out to small and medium scale businesses but indicated that the amount of loans granted to men-owned business were more.
She observed that communication during the pandemic was mostly online, a platform a lot of women were not familiar with.
Providing remedies to the challenges, Mrs Sam said during pandemics or any other crisis, there should be a budget specifically to tackle issues relating to gender.
She said special funds should be put aside to take care of women-owned businesses.
Mrs Sam also urged the government to ensure that there was digital literacy where women could use basic tools to communicate during crisis.
The Head of Secretariat at NETRIGHT, Mrs Patricia Blankson Akakpo, said there were a lot of women in the financial sector, but only 10 per cent held leadership positions.
She therefore, called on stakeholders in the gender mainstreaming to ensure that well-thought-out measures were put in place to get women to lead in the financial sector.
Sustainability Manager of ABANTU, Hamida Harrison (front) launching the policy with other stakeholders
By Jemima Esinam Kuatsinu
Ahyiresu and Abofrem, two quiet communities in the Atwima Mponua District, have been shaken to the core by a chilling midnight drama that reads like a nightmare.
A pastor and a young mother stand accused of attempting to bury a five‑month‑old baby girl alive, a crime that has ignited outrage and disbelief across the township.
According to police, Apostle Richmond Akwasi Frimpong, 36, Head Pastor of the Anointed Grace Prayer Ministry at Kuffour Camp, conspired with his uncle Emmanuel Appiah, 53, and the child’s mother, 23‑year‑old Beatrice Agyapomaa, to dispose of the infant, Anaya Achiaa, under the cover of darkness.
A fourth suspect, Emmanuel Donkor, remains on the run.
The suspects were caught near a refuse dump around 10 pm on April 9, 2026, after a vigilant resident, Akwasi Twezor, noticed their suspicious movements.
When confronted, they claimed the child was already dead and had palace approval for burial. But Twezor’s instincts proved right—the baby was still alive, gasping faintly for breath.
Chief Linguist, Nana Yaw Badu, later confirmed that Frimpong had misled him earlier in the evening, securing permission for burial by falsely declaring the child dead.
The infant was rushed to the Abofrem Clinic, where she is now responding well to treatment. Police described her as “very beautiful.”
Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Evelyn Yitamkey, Commander of DOVVSU in Bibiani, confirmed that the suspects have been provisionally charged.
Frimpong faces attempted murder and conspiracy charges, while Agyapomaa and Appiah are charged with conspiracy and abetment.
They were remanded by the Bibiani Circuit Court, presided over by Judge Frank Asiedu Nimako, to assist investigations.
The docket has been forwarded to the Attorney General’s Department for advice, ASP Yitamkey indicated.
The attempted crime has provoked fury among residents, many suspecting ritual motives aimed at bolstering the pastor’s influence.
Crowds attempted to attack the suspects outside court, but police intervention prevented mob justice.
The Assembly Member for Ahyiresu, Yusuf Suleiman, has assured residents that justice will be pursued swiftly.
From Kingsley E. Hope, Kumasi
The forecourt of the African University of Communications and Business (AUCB) in Accra came alive on Friday with colour, creativity and innovation, as Level 300 students transformed the space into a lively exhibition of ideas.
Under the theme “Building meaningful brands beyond the logo,” the students invited patrons into a world where ordinary products were reimagined through storytelling, design and purpose.
From scented candles to innovative food concepts, each stand told a unique story, one that went beyond aesthetics to capture identity, value and human connection.
For many of the students, the event was more than just an academic exercise; it was a moment to dream out loud.
Guided by their lecturer, Peter Wonders, they explored what it truly means to build a brand in today’s competitive world where trust, consistency and experience matter just as much as logos and slogans.
Chairman of the occasion, Nana Kum Gyata VI, in his remarks said a brand is what people say about you when you are not present.
At the end of the presentations, awards were presented to deserving groups with Vida Nyaneba emerging as the overall best branding student.
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
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