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Uganda to hold elections in 2021, campaign rallies banned
Uganda will hold a presidential election between January 10 and February 8, 2021, authorities said on Tuesday, introducing restrictions it said were aimed at slowing the spread of the new coronavirus (COVID-19).
Simon Mugenyi Byabakama, the election commission chairman, said the commission had banned campaign rallies and urged candidates to use media instead to get their messages to voters.
Opposition parties have previously complained about restricted access to broadcast media, especially in rural areas where they say security agencies bar them from appearing on political shows.
The commission will set the exact date of the election, also for parliament and local governments, later this year, Byabakama said.
Uganda’s health ministry has reported 823 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and no deaths. It began easing a 45-day lockdown, one of the strictest on the continent, in mid-May.
Incumbent President Yoweri Museveni had said it would have been “madness” to hold the elections if the coronavirus persisted.
In power since 1986, former rebel fighter Museveni has not confirmed whether he would run again, but the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party has already asked him to stand.
The strongest opposition presidential aspirant is pop star and lawmaker Robert Kyagulanyi, also known as Bobi Wine, whose angry, political music has made him a sensation.
On Monday, Wine announced an alliance with veteran opposition leader Kizza Besigye, who has challenged Museveni for the presidency three times. But the substance of the agreement was unclear, including whether the two opposition parties would field joint candidates.
In a potential taste of things to come, the public broadcaster Uganda Broadcasting Corporation refused to air Besigye’s advertisements during the 2011 presidential campaign despite being paid for the airtime. Dr Besigye later sued the public broadcaster for bias and won $21,000 in damages in 2018. -Reuters
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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.
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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.
