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Gender advocates call for quality care for women’s sexual, reproductive health
GENDER and women’s rights advocates have called for increased attention to women’s sexual and reproductive health (SRH) in order to improve their overall wellbeing.
In separate statements to mark International Women’s Day (IWD), the experts stressed that sexual and reproductive health remained a vital component of women’s total health and must be prioritised to ensure better access to quality care.
The Country Director of MSI Reproductive Choices, Demi Priscilla Letsa, speaking at a high-level panel discussion to commemorate the day, said challenges such as limited access to SRH services, disparities in service delivery and the uneven distribution of specialists across the country continued to affect the quality of care available to women.
According to her, the shortage of trained health professionals, including obstetricians, gynaecologists and midwives skilled in providing long-acting contraceptive services, remains a major challenge within the health system.
“There are not enough obstetricians, gynaecologists and even midwives who are appropriately trained to offer long-acting contraceptive methods. On an occasion like this, we want to highlight these issues so that as a country we can take deliberate steps to address them,” she stated.
Dr Letsa called for stronger collaboration among stakeholders to strengthen reproductive health services nationwide.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Merck Foundation, Rasha Kelej, reaffirmed her organisation’s commitment to empowering women and girls through various development programmes.
“At Merck Foundation, empowering women and girls is not confined to a single day; rather it is embedded in everything we do. It shapes our vision and guides our programmes,” she said.
Dr Kelej encouraged women to pursue their ambitions and contribute meaningfully to society.
This year’s IWD observed on the theme: ‘Rights. Justice. Action: For All Women and Girls,’ highlights the need to advance gender equality and protect the rights of women and girls worldwide
By Abigail Annoh
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The African Women Leaders Network (AWLN) Ghana Chapter has called for stronger action to protect the rights of women and girls and promote gender equality in the country.
The call was made in a statement issued in Accra to mark International Women’s Day 2026, celebrated globally under the theme “Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls.”
Signed by its Chairperson, Dr Charity Binka, the statement said although progress had been made in advancing gender equality, many women and girls still faced barriers that limited their full participation in society.
It said the theme for this year’s celebration served as both a moment of reflection and a call to action for stakeholders to intensify efforts to protect the rights of women and girls.
The Network noted that Ghana had taken important steps toward gender equality, including the passage of the Affirmative Action (Gender Equity) Act aimed at increasing women’s representation and participation in decision-making.
However, the network stressed that legislation alone was not enough and called for effective implementation, public awareness and institutional accountability to ensure the law translated into real opportunities for women and girls.
It, therefore urged the full implementation of the Affirmative Action Act to increase women’s representation in governance, leadership and public life.
It called for stronger access to justice for women and girls, including protection against gender-based violence and discrimination.
The network further advocated greater investment in girls’ education, digital inclusion and economic empowerment programmes for women, particularly through support for women entrepreneurs and improved access to finance.
Meanwhile, the President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Albert Dwumfour, has paid tribute to women in the media for their dedication and professionalism.
In a message to commemorate the International Women’s Day, he commended women journalists and communication professionals for their courage in amplifying voices, telling important stories and shaping public discourse.
“To every women in journalism and the communication profession, thank you for the courage, professionalism and dedication you bring to informing our society,” he said.
Mr Dwumfour added that the contributions of women journalists continued to inspire the next generation and strengthen the media for women and girls in society, calling for sustained efforts to promote equality, respect and opportunities for women and girls in society.
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
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INCREASING spate of road accidents, high rate of teenage pregnancies are worrying health issues confronting health workers in the Amansie South district of the Ashanti region. Road accident cases accounted for about 80 per cent of emergency cases in 2025, while a total of 728 teenage pregnancies were recorded in the district during the same period.
Mr Ofosu Kwabi Nasas, the District Director of Health Services, who announced these worrying trends in the district, said five deaths were recorded in these road accidents.
• Bishop Owusu Akyeaw
He was speaking at the 2025 annual performance review meeting of the health directorate at Manso-Adubia.
Mr Nasas expressed concern over the high rate of motor accidents in the district, attributing part of the problem to the poor state of road networks.
He said the dilapidated roads did not only contribute to accidents but also delayed timely access to healthcare services.
He therefore, appealed to the government to prioritise road rehabilitation within the district to help reduce accidents and improve emergency response.
Mr Nasas said the district recorded 728 cases of teenage pregnancies in 2025, describing the situation as alarming and a significant public health concern.
He urged parents and guardians to intensify supervision and guidance of their children to help curb the growing trend.
He emphasised that, stronger parental involvement, community education, and collaboration among stakeholders would be essential in addressing the issue and safeguarding the future of young girls in the district.
The Health Director further lamented the challenges facing healthcare workers in the district, particularly the high cost of accommodation because of the area’s active mining activities.
He explained that, high rent had made it difficult for many health professionals to secure affordable housing, forcing some to request for transfers to other districts.
He appealed to the government and relevant authorities to consider providing housing support for health workers to retain skilled personnel and ensure effective healthcare delivery.
In addition to housing challenges, Mr Nasas noted that, the district was currently facing a shortage of healthcare personnel.
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