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Gender Minister participate in 2025 IWD Women’s Dialogue
On Saturday March 8, 2025, the Minister for Gender, Children, and Social Protection, Dr. Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, participated in the 2025 International Women’s Day (IWD) Women’s Dialogue.
The event, held under the patronage of Vice President Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, brought together policymakers, leaders, and advocates to discuss the theme: “Resetting the Agenda for Women: Accelerating Action on Women’s Rights, Equity, and Empowerment.”
The dialogue aimed to celebrate the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women while addressing the challenges they continue to face.
It also provided a platform for stakeholders to engage in discussions that would accelerate action on women’s rights and empowerment, fostering collaboration on gender equality initiatives.
Vice President Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang emphasized the need for inclusive and sustained efforts to promote women’s leadership, economic empowerment, and educational advancement.
Speaking at the event, Hon. Dr. Agnes Naa Momo Lartey reiterated the urgency of accelerating action on women’s rights, equity, and empowerment.
She acknowledged the progress made in advancing gender equality but stressed that significant challenges remain, particularly in education, healthcare, and economic opportunities.
She emphasized that discussions should go beyond identifying these challenges to taking deliberate and transformative actions to address them. She called for concrete steps to turn commitments into lasting change, urging stakeholders to work together to develop policies, shift societal norms, and economically and politically empower women.
Underscoring the theme “Resetting the Agenda for Women: Accelerating Action on Women’s Rights, Equity, and Empowerment,” the Minister called for a renewed commitment from all stakeholders to move beyond rhetoric and drive real, measurable change.
She urged policymakers, civil society, and the private sector to collaborate on initiatives that empower women economically, challenge societal norms, and create inclusive spaces for women’s voices to be heard.
The Minister further emphasized that:
“Gender equality is not just about rights—it is about ensuring that women have the power and resources to shape their own destinies and contribute meaningfully to national development.”
She reaffirmed President John Dramani Mahama’s Government commitment to advocating for gender equity and encouraged meaningful dialogue to inspire actionable strategies.
In conclusion, she called on all participants to actively contribute to shaping a future where women’s rights are fully realized, emphasizing that every action counts in achieving true gender equality.
The Second Deputy Minority Whip, Jerry Ahmed Shaib, has defended the conduct of the Minority in Parliament during Tuesday’s chaotic sitting, insisting their actions were to protect what they believe is a violation of parliamentary procedure.
Explaining the incident, he said the Minority was reacting to developments surrounding a letter which allegedly directed that a seat belonging to the MP for Kpandai be declared vacant despite an earlier ruling by the Speaker.
He argued that the Speaker’s ruling should stand unless overturned by a competent court, and described the sudden reversal as shocking and against parliamentary precedent.
Mr Ahmed said the Minority only attempted to make a statement to register their displeasure, but tensions rose when the Majority Leader insisted on responding instead of commenting, which he said was against the rules.
He also denied claims that Minority MPs crossed the aisle, stressing that they remained within their side and only sought the Speaker’s attention.
He further complained that during proceedings, the Mace—the symbol of authority in the House—was not present and Minority microphones were disconnected, making the process one-sided.
He said the caucus intends to continue pushing to ensure that the MP for Kpandai retains his seat, adding that their next steps will be strategic.
By: Jacob Aggrey
President John Mahama has stated that it is too early for anyone to call for the scrapping of the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) despite recent controversies surrounding the institution.
He argued that the office remains an important part of Ghana’s fight against corruption.
He explained that government is strengthening anti-corruption bodies such as the Economic and Organised Crime Office and the OSP, noting that the OSP is the only agency with the power to independently prosecute cases without going through the Attorney General.
President Mahama said many people distrust the Attorney General’s office because it is headed by a government minister, and some fear it may be slow to prosecute its own.
He believes an independent body like the OSP offers stronger accountability, regardless of who is involved.
He admitted that citizens want to see more prosecutions and visible results, but urged the public to give the OSP time.
He encouraged the office to speed up its investigations to show that it remains relevant in the fight against corruption.
By: Jacob Aggrey
