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Children’s Parliament marks World Children’s Day in Accra
The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection has marked this year’s World Children’s Day with the seventh sitting of the National Children’s Parliament at the African Trade House in Accra.
The event, held on Thursday, November 20, 2025, brought together child parliamentarians from across the country to discuss issues affecting children’s growth, learning and protection.
This year’s celebration was on the theme My Day, My Right: Investing in Early Childhood, a National Priority. The theme underscored the importance of stronger national investment in the early years, which experts describe as the most crucial stage of a child’s development.
The Gender Minister, Dr. Agnes Naa Momo Lartey in her address noted that the day held special meaning for all who believed in the potential of Ghanaian children.
She explained that the Children’s Parliament had strengthened national commitment to ensuring that children’s voices were valued and considered in policymaking.
She indicated that children were not passive observers but active partners in shaping the future, and she described the platform as a transformative space that taught leadership and civic responsibility.
The Minister emphasised that the early years, from pregnancy to age eight, formed the foundation for how children learned, thought and related with others.
She referenced global research which showed that investments in early childhood delivered the highest returns to society through improved education outcomes, stronger economic growth and reduced inequalities.
She stressed that Ghana could not afford to miss the opportunity to give every child a strong start in life.
She revealed that the Ministry, with support from UNICEF and other development partners, was developing a national parenting strategy aimed at equipping caregivers with the tools needed to raise confident and emotionally secure children.
She also mentioned ongoing efforts to strengthen early childhood education infrastructure, promote nutrition and breastfeeding, expand access to health services and reinforce child protection systems against violence and neglect.
The Minister reaffirmed the holistic nature of child development, noting that health, nutrition, education, play and safety were inseparable.
She expressed pride in the contributions of the child parliamentarians and indicated that their participation reminded adults that the future must be co-designed with the children who would live in it.
She urged families, community leaders, religious institutions and all partners to support national efforts to safeguard children’s rights.
The Chief Director of the Ministry, Dr.Afisah Zakaria welcomed participants to the commemoration and highlighted that the theme reflected the need to listen to, empower and respect children from their earliest years.
She explained that Ghana’s newly enacted Early Childhood Care and Development policy provided a strong framework for supporting children’s holistic growth, including health, nutrition, safe environments and learning opportunities.
She urged policymakers, educators, families and partners to work collectively to ensure that every child was given the right conditions to thrive.
She pointed out that protecting children’s rights and providing nurturing early environments were essential for building a fair and prosperous nation.
She expressed hope that discussions from the Children’s Parliament would help translate national vision into practical action across communities.
The Chief Director extended best wishes to all children in Ghana and around the world and commended them for their role in shaping the country’s future.
The Country Director of Plan International Ghana, Constant Tchona, stated that World Children’s Day provided a platform to amplify key child rights, including health, education, protection and participation.
He observed that the early years formed the base of a child’s future growth and explained that strong foundations supported cognitive development, health, nutrition and the ability to learn through play.
He praised the Children’s Parliament for highlighting issues affecting their communities and for proposing practical solutions to national actors.
He stressed that investing in children was the most effective way to invest in national development and warned that failure to invest today would weaken the country’s future.
He pledged Plan International’s continued support towards the implementation of the national early childhood development policy and encouraged other development partners to do the same.
He commended Beatrice, one of the child parliamentarians, for her confidence and clarity, describing her as an example of the agency and empowerment the organisation aimed to promote, especially for girls.
The event brought together government officials, development partners, educators, caregivers, civil society organisations and children.
It provided a platform for young people to share their concerns, propose reforms and advocate for improved learning and protection systems.
By: Jacob Aggrey
News
Oxfam in Ghana donates medical equipment and essential drugs worth GH¢1.5 million to Kasoa Polyclinic
Oxfam in Ghana has donated medical equipment and essential drugs worth about GH¢1.5 million to the Kasoa Polyclinic to strengthen maternal and reproductive healthcare services in the municipality.
The presentation, which took place on Tuesday, June 24, 2026, at the premises of the clinic in Kasoa, formed part of the sustainability and legacy activities under the Power to Choose (P2C) Project.
The donated items included delivery beds, maternity beds, oxygen cylinders, neonatal resuscitation equipment, blood pressure monitors, newborn weighing scales, suction machines, delivery kits, essential medicines, medical theatre wear and other critical supplies to support quality healthcare delivery.
The Power to Choose Project is a seven-year initiative being implemented by Oxfam in Ghana in partnership with the Planned Parenthood Association of Ghana (PPAG), WiLDAF Ghana, SEND Ghana, Norsaac and PARDA, with funding from Global Affairs Canada through Oxfam Quebec.
The project seeks to improve sexual and reproductive health and rights for young people, particularly adolescent girls, young women and young men living in vulnerable and marginalised conditions.
Addressing nurses and management of the hospital, the Country Director for Oxfam in Ghana, Mohammed-Anwar Sadat Adam, said the project, which began in 2021 and will run until early 2028, is being implemented in seven countries across Africa, Latin America and the Middle East.
He said Ghana and the Democratic Republic of Congo are the two African countries benefiting from the project.
Mr. Adam noted that the project has already trained about 102 health workers in areas including youth-friendly services, emergency obstetric and neonatal care, family planning, gender-based violence response, respectful maternity care and inclusive healthcare delivery.
He said Oxfam and its partners conducted assessments at beneficiary facilities and identified equipment needs to help improve healthcare delivery.
According to him, the donation would create safe spaces where young women and girls could seek healthcare services without fear or stigma and would improve health outcomes in the community.
Mr. Adam thanked the Government of Canada, the Ghana Health Service, the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Ghana (SOGOG), World Health Ghana and other partners for supporting the implementation of the project.
He urged the beneficiary facilities to ensure that the equipment is properly used and maintained to serve the community for many years.
A speech by the Municipal Health Director for Awutu Senya East, Dr. Stanley Kweku Yaidoo, which was read on his behalf by the Municipal Accountant, Rev. Dr. Askari Thomas, described the donation as timely and important.
He said quality healthcare delivery depends on manpower, financial resources and equipment, adding that healthcare workers cannot effectively deliver services without the necessary tools.
Dr. Yaidoo thanked Oxfam and its partners for selecting Kasoa as one of the beneficiary facilities and assured them that the equipment would be put to good use.
The Acting Medical Superintendent of Kasoa Polyclinic, Dr. Papa Kojo Arthur, expressed appreciation to Oxfam for its continuous support over the years through training and capacity building.
He said the equipment would greatly support the effective management of patients, particularly in maternal and child healthcare.
According to him, the donation would help reduce maternal and perinatal mortality in the municipality.
The donation formed part of efforts to strengthen the capacity of youth-friendly health facilities in eight implementing districts across five regions of Ghana to continue providing quality and accessible sexual and reproductive healthcare services beyond the lifespan of the project.
By: Jacob Aggrey
The Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts (MoTCCA) has announced that an electronic copy of Ghana’s revised National Cultural Policy is now available online for free access by the public and stakeholders in the creative sector.
In a statement issued on June 22, the ministry said the revised policy was officially launched on June 9, 2026, at the National Theatre of Ghana in Accra.
According to the ministry, the decision to upload the document on its official website is aimed at ensuring widespread dissemination, increasing public awareness and promoting the effective implementation of the policy.
The ministry encouraged sector practitioners, stakeholders and members of the public to visit its website and read the document.
“The Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, in the spirit of the Black Star Experience, remains committed to a transparent, inclusive and collaborative approach to building the better Ghana we want,” the statement said.
It added that it looks forward to the active participation of stakeholders in implementing the policy for the benefit of the country.
The ministry urged the public to take advantage of the free access to the policy document and familiarise themselves with its contents.
By: Jacob Aggrey
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