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African Women Lawyers Association seeks collaboration with Gender Ministry
A delegation from the African Women Lawyers Association (AWLA), led by its Chairperson, Madam Christine Lartey, has paid a courtesy call on the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr. Agnes Naa Momo Lartey.
The visit aimed to formally introduce the Association to the new Minister and explore possible areas of collaboration to promote gender equality and women’s rights.
Discussions during the meeting focused on several critical issues, including the need to ensure that laws passed in Ghana are gender-responsive and inclusive.
The delegation also raised concerns about the increasing use of social media to harass individuals, particularly women, and emphasized the urgent need to address this growing form of digital abuse.
One key issue raised was that of surrogacy—specifically, the need to develop a policy to streamline or guide its practice in the short term, ahead of a comprehensive legal framework for long-term regulation.
The meeting also addressed the enforcement and review of the Interstate Succession Law, violence against women, and the vulnerabilities of kayayei (female head porters), especially their exposure to abuse and exploitation.
AWLA further proposed that the Domestic Violence Fund be adequately resourced to support survivors of abuse and to strengthen institutional responses to gender-based violence.
The need to advance the passage of the Property Rights of Spouses Bill was also emphasized as crucial to protecting the economic rights of women, particularly within marriage and family settings.
Dr. Agnes Naa Momo Lartey expressed her appreciation to AWLA for their consistent advocacy on gender-related issues and their willingness to partner with the Ministry.
She assured the delegation that the Ministry would work closely with AWLA to follow up on all the points discussed.
In particular, she announced that the Ministry would form a joint team, in collaboration with AWLA and other stakeholders, to develop a draft policy framework on surrogacy and the empowerment of kayayei.
The Minister further reiterated government’s commitment to promoting gender equity and ensuring that all Ghanaians, especially vulnerable women and children, are protected under the law. She also pledged the Ministry’s readiness to deepen stakeholder engagement for sustained impact.
Also present at the meeting was the Chief Director of the Ministry, Dr. Afisah Zakariah.
The Northern Regional Police Command has arrested three men believed to be part of a kidnapping syndicate responsible for abducting a 42-year-old man in Wapuli, a community in the Yendi District.
The suspects, Haruna Seidu, Amidu Bandi and Osman Bandi allegedly kidnapped the victim and demanded GH¢100,000 from his family for his release.
According to a police statement, officers from the Regional Police Intelligence Directorate were deployed to Wapuli after the incident was reported.
The team conducted surveillance and launched a rescue operation.
On Friday, December 5, 2025, police successfully rescued the victim and arrested the suspects after what was described as an intense exchange of gunfire.
The suspects were later taken into custody and are expected to be arraigned before court.
The Police said the a fourth suspect, who is believed to have sustained gunshot wounds during the operation, is currently on the run.
They urged the public to provide any information that may lead to his arrest.
By: Jacob Aggrey
News
Nana Yaa Serwaa Sarpong advocates Bold educational reforms at the UK House of Lords during Global Education Summit.
On November 27 2025, global development leaders, policymakers, education experts and civil society organisations gathered at the UK Parliament’s House of Lords for the Global Education Summit hosted by The Baroness Verma of Leicester and organised by the African British Business Forum.
The high-level event focused on the global rise in out-of-school children and the urgent reforms required to deliver equitable, quality education for all.
Among the distinguished Speakers was Nana Yaa Serwaa Sarpong, Founder & President of Women in Sustainability Africa (WiSA) and General Manager of the EIB Network, who delivered a compelling address on the theme “Breaking Barriers: Empowering Out-of-School Children Through Education.”
In her remarks, Nana Yaa who is currently celebrating 26years of Service in the Media, emphasized that education must be viewed as essential national infrastructure, not charity.
Borrowing experiences from her 18 years of empowering women and young people, she presented a strong case on how Africa’s poor educational systems tie into the poor state of its Gender Equality gap.
According to her, unlocking access to education is one of the most effective ways to strengthen economies, empower women and young girls, build resilient communities and drive sustainable development.
She highlighted that each child excluded from learning represents deferred innovation, delayed opportunity and a weakened society.
Nana Yaa noted that the barriers keeping millions of children out of school are complex and interconnected—ranging from poverty and cultural norms to geographical isolation and digital exclusion.
Addressing these challenges, she argued, requires solutions that are equally comprehensive and multi-layered.
Nana Yaa stressed that girls remain disproportionately affected, and investing in girls’ education has a transformative impact across several Sustainable Development Goals, including gender equality, poverty reduction, health outcomes and climate resilience.
Nana Yaa advocated for the expansion of flexible, inclusive and community-responsive educational models, such as mobile classrooms for remote and nomadic communities, community learning hubs, after-hours programmes for working children, radio-based instruction for low-tech areas and digital platforms designed to reach learners regardless of connectivity challenges.
She warned that without deliberate action, the digital divide would continue to widen, pushing already vulnerable children further to the margins.
During her presentation, she introduced three major reforms WiSA is seeking Partners for, aimed at reshaping educational access across Africa and beyond.
These are the Digital Bridge for Out-of-School Children (DBOC), the Community Education Stewardship Hubs (CESH) involving local women educators and youth volunteers and the Teen-focused Global Skills Accelerator for Out-of-School Teens (GSA-OT).
She also underscored the need for education systems that support instruction, inclusivity and healing, particularly for children experiencing autism, trauma, displacement or conflict.
Nana Yaa emphasised that emotional and psychological support must be integrated into educational frameworks in order to restore confidence, stability and long-term learning capacity.
The summit concluded with strong commitments from stakeholders to adopt sustainable financing models, strengthen data-driven policies and expand cross-sector partnerships.
The African British Business Forum reaffirmed its commitment to championing innovative, scalable solutions to educational inclusion across the UK, Africa and the wider global community.
