News
Absence of ‘Fellow Ghanaians’ affecting sale of nose masks
Some nose masks sellers in the Tema West Municipality of the Greater Accra Region have complained of low sales because it has been a while the President addressed the nation on the Coronavirus pandemic.
Speaking in separate interviews with The Spectator, they claimed that the public did not seem interested in wearing the nose masks any longer.
It is, therefore, common to walk through the community and see many people walking, doing business or in vehicles without their nose masks.
One of the sellers, Madam Mercy Abena Boatemaa disclosed that sales soared anytime the President Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo addressed the nation on the COVID-19 situation.
The-45-year old who spends at least ten hours a day selling nose masks by the dusty road of the Adjei Kojo Market said she was introduced to the business by a friend who gave her an amount of Ghc100 as seed capital to improve her life and that of her children.
She said she had been advocating constantly that people wore their masks always especially when they were in public not because she wanted to make profit but because she felt it was important to protect oneself and his or her entire community.
She said sometimes, she felt compelled to give free nose masks to some people who passed by without wearing them as she saw such persons as a danger to everyone because one could not tell when his or her path would cross with infected people.
The native of Kumasi Tsrede said she purchased her products from the Central Business District of Accra.
Ms Boatemaa said she was unhappy that some traders sold inferior nose masks to unsuspecting members of the public describing it as an exercise that seriously compromised public health and also increased people’s chances of getting infected.
She said she had vowed to rather sell quality masks which suppressed the transmission of the virus because she felt obliged to do the society more good than harm.
She called on the public to take the safety precautions of COVID-19 but not hide behind the excuse that it was an inconvenience to wear the nose maks because these were not normal times.
Another nose mask seller, Mrs. Adjeley Lartey said some members of the public were of the view that the virus was no longer harmful so there was no point in continuing to wear the masks.
She said someone even told her that because many people had vaccinated, they were protecting those who had not taken the jab.
She said such unhealthy attituded was killing their business because she could go a whole day without even selling two boxes of the nose masks.
Ms. Lartey called on the President to continue updating the nation to let the public know that the virus was not gone as some Ghanaians thought.
From Dzifa Tetteh Tay, Adjei Kojo.
News
SEND Ghana engage Gender Minister for strategic dialogue on social protection and gender equality
A delegation from SEND Ghana visited the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr. Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, to discuss collaboration on gender equality, social protection, and economic empowerment.
SEND Ghana, known for its policy advocacy and equitable development efforts, works closely with farmers and empowers young women aged 18–35 through Mastercard Foundation-supported projects focused on livelihood and agricultural support.
The Minister welcomed SEND Ghana’s initiatives and highlighted the Ministry’s alignment with their priorities.
She reaffirmed that social protection is a top priority under President John Mahama’s government and emphasized ongoing efforts to expand coverage and enhance service delivery through flagship programmes like Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP), which remains vital for vulnerable households.
Regarding the Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP), the Minister noted plans to introduce legislation to ensure its sustainability and improve the nutritional quality of school meals.
She praised civil society’s role in monitoring local implementation.
The Minister also voiced strong support for menstrual hygiene and reproductive health campaigns, stressing education and access to sanitary products for adolescent girls, and encouraged efforts to break menstrual taboos and keep girls in school.
Broader gender issues discussed included reducing unpaid care work, promoting gender-sensitive leave policies (maternity and paternity leave), and boosting women’s economic opportunities.
Both parties agreed on the need to build gender-responsive systems that empower women socially and economically.
The meeting concluded with a shared commitment to work together for inclusive development, gender equity, and stronger social protection systems in Ghana.
News
3-Day in-country capacity building workshop on Women, Peace and Security Reporting Frame Work held
In 2018, the African Union developed the Continental Results Framework (CRF) to track the implementation of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda across Africa.
To support this regional effort, ECOWAS introduced a simplified version of the CRF in 2022 to guide member states in implementation and reporting.
As part of a broader regional effort to build national capacity across member states, the ECOWAS Commission, through its Directorate for Humanitarian and Social Affairs (DHSA), and in collaboration with relevant stakeholders and the WPS Regional Steering Group—with technical and financial backing from the ECOWAS Peace, Security and Governance Project (EPSG), co-funded by the European Union and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), and implemented by GIZ—organized a three-day in-country capacity-building workshop in Ghana.
Held from June 10 to 12, 2025, the workshop was spearheaded by the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection in collaboration with the European Union, the German Embassy, and the ECOWAS Commission.
It aimed to enhance the technical capacity of national stakeholders and focal persons to systematically document, monitor, and report on WPS interventions, particularly in relation to Ghana’s National Action Plan on United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 (GHANAP II).
The training also focused on improving data accuracy, promoting inter-agency collaboration, and ensuring Ghana’s reporting processes align with the ECOWAS Simplified CRF.
Speaking on behalf of the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr. Agnes Momo Lartey, the Director of the Department of Gender, Madam Faustina Acheampong, described the workshop as “timely and appropriate,” noting its significance in strengthening Ghana’s WPS reporting architecture.
She further stressed the importance of accurate data and coordinated efforts to meet the country’s regional reporting obligations.
She also underscored the critical role of women in peacebuilding, emphasizing the need to amplify women’s voices and ensure their full participation in peace processes to achieve lasting, inclusive peace in Ghana.
Representing the ECOWAS Commission’s Directorate of Humanitarian and Social Affairs, Mr. Olatunde Olayemi reaffirmed ECOWAS’s commitment to Ghana’s WPS agenda. He highlighted the disproportionate impact of insecurity on women and girls and praised Ghana’s ongoing efforts to advance inclusive peacebuilding as a cornerstone for sustainable development.
Daniel Messina, from the European Union Delegation to Ghana, acknowledged the role of the ECOWAS Peace and Security Architecture and Operations (EPSAO) Programme—funded by the EU and German Government—in promoting peace, security, and gender equity across the region.
Additionally, Pauline Okkens, Political Advisor at the German Embassy, reiterated her government’s continued support for the development and implementation of continental and regional frameworks on Women, Peace and Security.
