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Bush meat traders pledge to halt Pangolins
Bush meat sellers at Atwemonom, a local market centre for bush meat sales in Kumasi, have pledged to rally behind the government and stakeholders to halt the illegal trade and exploitation of pangolins, a critically endangered species.
The traders pointed out that, after learning about the enormous contributions of pangolins to ecosystem protection, it was time they ceased all forms of trade of the animal, which is one of the local delicacies among bush meat lovers in Kumasi and allow them to exist and multiply for the conservation chain to continue.
Madam Comfort Badu, Queen mother of Atwemonom Bush Meat Sellers, indicated that the traders were going to engage with the hunters to halt bringing in pangolins to the market for sale.
“We will talk to our hunters not to kill or bring the meat of pangolins to us again. It is serious to protect them, and again, the government has laws guiding the trading, poaching, and handling of pangolins. Any hunter who does not heed our advice and gets caught by the law does so at his own risk,” she buttressed.
Madam Badu was contributing to the discussions at the 2025 World Pangolin Day, organised by the Institute of Nature and Environmental Conservation (INEC) Ghana, in Kumasi.
The 2025 celebration was under the theme: ‘Youth Legacy for Pangolin Conservation.’
It brought together students from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Toase Senior High School, Officers from the Wildlife Division of the Forestry Commission, Custom Officials and Bush meat Traders from Atwemonom.
Madam Badu assured that the market women would scrutinise the meat hunters’ supplies before making purchases.
Mr David Kwarteng, Executive Director, INEC Ghana, commended the market women for pledging support for the fight against poaching and trading of pangolin meat and scales.
He reiterated that pangolins were the most trafficked animals in the world and in Ghana the scaled animals faced a lot of challenges.
What was more worrying according to Mr Kwarteng, was the inability of conservationists to have data on how many pangolins left the wild each year.
It is heartwarming to hear from our mothers assuring us to report, confiscate, and educate hunters on the need to stop harvesting pangolins, the feedback from the traders has been refreshing.
The expectation is also that law enforcement agencies will administer the laws on pangolin trade and the justice system give appropriate sentencing to people who flout the law”, he observed.
Dr Meyir Zeikah, Manager of the Kumasi Zoological Gardens, called on the public to continuously bring rescued animals, including pangolins, to the Zoo for treatment and rehabilitation.
All eight pangolin species in the world are protected under national and international laws, and two are listed as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. –GNA
Women in Sustainability Africa (WiSA) successfully holds the African Women’s Health and Wealth Conference (AWoHW) with a call for research and investment into women’s healthcare.
It also called for robust financial systems and encouraged women to generate wealth as well as prioritise their health.
The conference held at the Shippers House in Accra on Thursday, March 5, 2026, was on the theme, “Championing Inclusive healthcare and finance systems for African women and girls.”
Speaking on behalf of Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Sabia Kpekata, Programme Officer at the Ministry, said, Financial inclusion remains one of the most critical pathways to women’s empowerment and achieving sustainable development.
According to the minister, it is for this reason that the government continues to support initiatives that expand access to affordable credit, strengthen women-led enterprises and build financial literacy.
“Institutions such as MASLOC, the Women’s Development Bank and other targeted financing mechanisms play a critical role in closing the financial inclusion gap,” she added.
Against this backdrop, she stated that the passage of the Affirmative Action (Gender Equity) Act, 2024 (Act 1121), further strengthens this agenda. By mandating progressive representation of women in decision-making spaces across public and private sectors, the Act ensures that women are not only beneficiaries of financial and healthcare systems, but architects of those systems.
“Women must sit at the policy table where budgets are approved, health priorities are set, and economic policies are designed. This is why the Ministry calls on all stakeholders to push for the effective implementation of the Affirmative Act,” she stated.
Furthermore, she noted that the conference called on everyone to move inclusion from talk to action, incorporating it in budgets, laws, health systems and corporate policies.
She added that the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection is committed to partnering with stakeholders to build inclusive healthcare and financial systems that serve every woman and girl, regardless of location, income, or social status.
“Let us strive to build a Ghana where opportunity is not determined by gender and where systems are designed to uplift, protect and empower,’ she noted.
Addressing the gathering, the Deputy Chief of Staff, Nana Oye Bampoe Addo, said many women suffer from mental health issues as a result of health financing, adding that this is why President Mahama has initiated the Accra Reset to tackle issues relating to women.
Additionally, she commended the Ghana Enterprises Agency for consistently promoting women entrepreneurs.
Nana Oye Bampoe further touched on some government initiatives targeted at women, adding that the government is intentional about women’s empowerment.
On his part, the convener, Nana Yaa Serwaa Sarpong, said, “Today is not just a conference – It is a declaration. It is a declaration that African women and girls will no longer stand at the margins of systems that determine their health, their wealth, and their future.”
According to her, it is a declaration that sustainability is not a slogan for them, rather, it is a strategy, a commitment and a promise.
She said the greatest resource any organisation, community, nation or continent has is its human resources, adding that the continent’s economic prosperity depends on the quality, productivity and capacity of its labour force, including men, women and young people.
The convener noted that where both genders have equal opportunities and operate at near optimal levels, there will be greater economic Expansion and output for the prosperity of all Africans
Additionally, she stated that to drive inclusive economic growth, reduce poverty, amongst others, there is a need for an intentional and clear alignment to economic and social dynamics in specific contexts.
“This will in turn positively impact the involvement and contributions to drive the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the overall economic prosperity of Africa,” she added.
She further stated that as 2030 approaches, WISA which officially launched on May 1, 2025 in Partnership with the UN Global Compact on behalf of all Women of Africa and of African Descent, will mark a new beginning to accelerate growth towards the closure of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) gaps, by being deliberate to center women at the heart of implementation and compliance.
The Chief Executive Officer of GoldBod Jewellery, Getrude Emefa Donkor, said, Saving alone cannot make one financially sound, adding that investing and having other sources of income is the best way to go.
She also provided some tips for women, calling for discipline in spending, and consistency in saving behaviour, as well as inculcating the habit of budgeting.
WiSA is a Coordinating Pan-African Organization that works with other CSOs, NGOs, Corporate Institutions, local and International Development Organizations and individuals to bring all women, men, young people and women groups together (especially those at the grassroots level) to foster the achievement of the SDGs across Africa.
WiSA stands for the development of new perspectives and catalytic ideas towards accelerating growth for the achievement of the SDGs, including closing the Gender Inequality gap.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
News
Promoting Gender Equity In Governance: Felicia Adjei highlights importance of proportional representation
The Member of Parliament for Kintampo South, Felicia Adjei, has made a statement in Parliament on the importance of proportional representation in promoting gender equity in governance.
Speaking in parliament yesterday, she noted that the Affirmative Action (Gender Equity) Act, 2024 (Act 1121) was a bold step toward encouraging women’s participation, but laws alone cannot guarantee fairness if the electoral system does not support inclusion.
She explained that proportional representation, particularly through Gender-Balance or “zebra” lists where parties alternate between male and female candidates, could help ensure equal opportunities for women in leadership.
The Kintampo MP was of the view that such a system promotes fairness by design rather than leaving representation to chance.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
