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Reduce workload on pupils – girl appeals
A form two Junior High School (JHS) pupil at Wa in the Upper West Region, Miss Rashida Ibrahim has appealed to parents to reduce the workload on girls in order to allow them time to study and compete favourably with their male counterparts in class.
The young girl lamented that most girls were over burdened with household chores which were unfairly distributed among male and female siblings at home and said this act limited their performance levels in other aspects of life.
“Most of us girls do not get time to play with our colleagues and no time to make friends and socialise because the moment, we close from school, there is work to do at home”, she said.
Ms Rashida stated these on the sidelines of a women empowerment programme orgainsed at Wa by the Network for Young Women’s Empowerment (NYWE) last weekend.
As if this is not enough, Rashida says she has to rush to the market after school, pick up food items from her mother to go and prepare supper, wash dishes and put the house in order.
“I sometimes finish my chores around 8pm by which time, I am very tired and unable to read, but I am quite fortunate that one of my uncles is a teacher so he comes around and helps me with my studies at times”, she said.
Rashida intimated that even with assistance from her uncle, she had never made it to the top 20 in her class after exam because she did not make enough time to read her books.
Miss Rashida said that she would be grateful if parents would share the chores amongst male and female siblings but feared that might never happen as she was constantly reminded of the need to keep up the ‘good work’ for a better marriage in future.
She, therefore, queried if being a woman was all about serving people but not having enough time for oneself was the way to go and sometimes wished she was a male.
Throwing more light on her concern, a member of the NYWE, Ms Doris Siibu attested that growing up as a female was very challenging in many homes in Ghana as many of them had to deal with numerous household chores which were embedded in traditions and culture.
“These things are pushed by traditions we have lived with for so long, hence changing them will require gradual and intentional education that will speak to the minds of people and make them see reason to allow both male and females to maintain the home together”, she said.
She called on parents to support their females to progress both in school and at home by reducing the workload on them and sharing it with their brothers so that girls could also engage in other social activities for mental development.
From Lydia Darlington Fordjour, Wa
News
SEND Ghana engage Gender Minister for strategic dialogue on social protection and gender equality
A delegation from SEND Ghana visited the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr. Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, to discuss collaboration on gender equality, social protection, and economic empowerment.
SEND Ghana, known for its policy advocacy and equitable development efforts, works closely with farmers and empowers young women aged 18–35 through Mastercard Foundation-supported projects focused on livelihood and agricultural support.
The Minister welcomed SEND Ghana’s initiatives and highlighted the Ministry’s alignment with their priorities.
She reaffirmed that social protection is a top priority under President John Mahama’s government and emphasized ongoing efforts to expand coverage and enhance service delivery through flagship programmes like Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP), which remains vital for vulnerable households.
Regarding the Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP), the Minister noted plans to introduce legislation to ensure its sustainability and improve the nutritional quality of school meals.
She praised civil society’s role in monitoring local implementation.
The Minister also voiced strong support for menstrual hygiene and reproductive health campaigns, stressing education and access to sanitary products for adolescent girls, and encouraged efforts to break menstrual taboos and keep girls in school.
Broader gender issues discussed included reducing unpaid care work, promoting gender-sensitive leave policies (maternity and paternity leave), and boosting women’s economic opportunities.
Both parties agreed on the need to build gender-responsive systems that empower women socially and economically.
The meeting concluded with a shared commitment to work together for inclusive development, gender equity, and stronger social protection systems in Ghana.
News
3-Day in-country capacity building workshop on Women, Peace and Security Reporting Frame Work held
In 2018, the African Union developed the Continental Results Framework (CRF) to track the implementation of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda across Africa.
To support this regional effort, ECOWAS introduced a simplified version of the CRF in 2022 to guide member states in implementation and reporting.
As part of a broader regional effort to build national capacity across member states, the ECOWAS Commission, through its Directorate for Humanitarian and Social Affairs (DHSA), and in collaboration with relevant stakeholders and the WPS Regional Steering Group—with technical and financial backing from the ECOWAS Peace, Security and Governance Project (EPSG), co-funded by the European Union and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), and implemented by GIZ—organized a three-day in-country capacity-building workshop in Ghana.
Held from June 10 to 12, 2025, the workshop was spearheaded by the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection in collaboration with the European Union, the German Embassy, and the ECOWAS Commission.
It aimed to enhance the technical capacity of national stakeholders and focal persons to systematically document, monitor, and report on WPS interventions, particularly in relation to Ghana’s National Action Plan on United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 (GHANAP II).
The training also focused on improving data accuracy, promoting inter-agency collaboration, and ensuring Ghana’s reporting processes align with the ECOWAS Simplified CRF.
Speaking on behalf of the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr. Agnes Momo Lartey, the Director of the Department of Gender, Madam Faustina Acheampong, described the workshop as “timely and appropriate,” noting its significance in strengthening Ghana’s WPS reporting architecture.
She further stressed the importance of accurate data and coordinated efforts to meet the country’s regional reporting obligations.
She also underscored the critical role of women in peacebuilding, emphasizing the need to amplify women’s voices and ensure their full participation in peace processes to achieve lasting, inclusive peace in Ghana.
Representing the ECOWAS Commission’s Directorate of Humanitarian and Social Affairs, Mr. Olatunde Olayemi reaffirmed ECOWAS’s commitment to Ghana’s WPS agenda. He highlighted the disproportionate impact of insecurity on women and girls and praised Ghana’s ongoing efforts to advance inclusive peacebuilding as a cornerstone for sustainable development.
Daniel Messina, from the European Union Delegation to Ghana, acknowledged the role of the ECOWAS Peace and Security Architecture and Operations (EPSAO) Programme—funded by the EU and German Government—in promoting peace, security, and gender equity across the region.
Additionally, Pauline Okkens, Political Advisor at the German Embassy, reiterated her government’s continued support for the development and implementation of continental and regional frameworks on Women, Peace and Security.
