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UNECA discusses efforts to improve women’s access to financial services
Efforts to improve women’s access to financial services and create more economic opportunities for them have come into focus as the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) works with Ghana to promote gender-responsive fiscal policies.
The initiative, which seeks to make financial inclusion more accessible to women across the country, is expected to identify practical ways of strengthening gender-responsive budgeting, improving access to financial services and providing targeted technical support to relevant institutions.
As part of the exercise, UNECA, in collaboration with the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, has held a technical consultation to examine Ghana’s existing financial inclusion policies and explore ways of making them more responsive to women’s needs.
The meeting brought together representatives from government institutions, financial sector organisations, civil society and development partners to share experiences and discuss strategies for advancing women’s economic empowerment.
Speaking on behalf of the Chief Director, the Director of the Policy Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Directorate, Mrs Florence Ayisi Quartey, welcomed the UNECA delegation and participants.
She described the consultation as a valuable opportunity for stakeholders to review existing policies, exchange ideas and identify areas requiring attention to improve women’s participation in economic activities.
Mrs Quartey expressed the Ministry’s appreciation for UNECA’s engagement and said the team’s expertise would be useful in strengthening the implementation and impact of programmes aimed at promoting gender equality.
The UNECA team explained that its mission was to gain a better understanding of Ghana’s financial inclusion systems and identify practical tools for tracking progress and building the capacity of relevant institutions.
It noted that women’s financial needs were not the same, stressing the importance of developing inclusive strategies that took into account the circumstances of young women, female entrepreneurs and women in vulnerable situations.
Participants also discussed some of the challenges preventing women from accessing financial services and examined how fiscal policies could be designed to address those barriers.
The discussions further explored ways of making financial sector initiatives more responsive to women while ensuring that public budgeting and resource allocation took gender considerations into account.
The scoping mission is expected to culminate in a comprehensive assessment that will guide recommendations for improving gender-responsive budgeting, strengthening financial inclusion and expanding economic opportunities for women.
The exercise is also expected to contribute to broader efforts to ensure that women are better positioned to participate in and benefit from Ghana’s economic development.
By Spectator Reporter
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The Ashaiman Municipal Office of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has held a sensitisation programme on Drug Abuse and Cyber Crimes for over 600 pupils from three basic schools in Ashaiman.
It was organised in collaboration with the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) and Cyber Security Authority (CSA) and was held on the theme: ‘Securing Our Future: Say No to Drug Abuse and Cyber-crimes.’
It was attended by pupils from Ashaiman Presby ’A’ Basic, Ashaiman Presby Basic ‘B’ and Central Presby & JHS.
The Municipal Director for NCCE, Ashaiman, Ms. Salvata Mawulom Koku said the event was to drum home the menace of drug abuse and the dangers of cyber-crimes.
She said the children are the future of every country and that, it was important to educate them so that they do not fall prey to these vices that will end up destroying their future.
She said that despite the fact that NCCE carries out education as its core mandate, there was the need to bring on board NACOC and CSA to share their expertise.
With pictorial slides, the pupils received a first-hand information on some of the things they have been told.
Madam Ayisha Ibrahim Tarl, Deputy Narcotic Control Officer from the Education & Preventive Department of NACOC, admonished the pupils not to consume substances that contain stimulants, depressant and hallucinogens in a bid to feel good and to help them to solve problems.
She enlightened the children about the offences and penalties of drug related crimes and also shared some travelling tips with the pupils.
She advised them not to fall victims of any drug trafficking scheme if they intend to use any entry and exit points of Ghana, urging them not to allow the love for money to push them into any drug related businesses.
Additionally, she stressed that before travelling, one should buy items they would like to travel with themselves. As well as pack their own luggage.
Furthermore, she travellers to keep their eyes on their luggage, keep it securely closed and never carry luggage, package or gift for anyone across a boarder or security check-points unless they are sure of its content.
The officer also revealed that drugs can be concealed in everyday items and so they should be guided.
Mr Martin Aboagye, an officer from the Child Protective Department of CSA, said in as much as the cyber space was useful and has come to stay, the same space has the potential of being harmful to children when not used properly.
He bemoaned the fact that the cyber space has become a place where people under the guise of business, friendship, acquaintance commit all manner of harm to unsuspecting victims especially children.
Mr Aboagye explained that some of the online risk children face as cyber-bullying, sexual extortion, stalking, cyber grooming and online violence, cautioning that, “since the internet does not forget, children should be careful the kind of digital footprint and reputation they leave on the internet, because it can haunt them in later years.”
He stated the pupils should be careful the kind of images they share and re-post especially with strangers and they should report misbehaviours online.
Madam Gloria Kwakuyi, Municipal Director of Education, Ashaiman called on the pupils to be of good behaviour and use the internet for the benefit it gives.
By Salvata Mawulom Koku
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The need for Ghana to strengthen its engagement with Africans in the diaspora and create practical arrangements to support their return and settlement has been emphasised at a dialogue in Accra.
The dialogue brought together government representatives, traditional authorities, academics and members of the African diaspora to explore practical ways of strengthening the relationship between Ghana and its global diaspora.
The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr James Gyakye Quayson, said the diaspora remained an important partner in national development through investment, innovation, skills transfer, philanthropy and international advocacy.
He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to strengthening diaspora engagement and creating practical pathways for return, reintegration, citizenship and economic participation.
Mr Quayson was speaking at the inaugural Open D.O.O.R. Dialogues held at the Cedi Conference Centre of the University of Ghana, Legon, on Friday, October 30, 2026.
The dialogue was held on the theme: ‘Come Home. Stay Home. Build Home.’
The Acting Executive Director of the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, Dr Collins Rawlings Nyunyonyame, who represented the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Ms Abla Dzifa Gomashie, said Ghana’s invitation to Africans abroad to return home must be supported with accessible information, effective institutions and opportunities for long-term settlement.
He emphasised that efforts to direct the individual to the appropriate government institutions proved unsuccessful, with the prospective returnee later reporting that he had been unable to obtain the necessary information.
According to him, the experience highlighted the difficulties confronting people seeking to establish permanent roots in Ghana.
He called for stronger coordination among the Office of Diaspora Affairs, Ghana Immigration Service, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other relevant institutions to provide clear information on citizenship, residency, business establishment and settlement procedures.
Dr Nyunyonyame also proposed the establishment of a structured diaspora opportunity platform to connect prospective returnees to credible investment opportunities, housing information, business registration, professional partnerships and skills-transfer programmes.
For his part, the Chairman of the Open D.O.O.R. Dialogues Committee, Ɔbenfo Ọbádélé Bakari Kambon, mentioned that the initiative represented a shift from the tourism-focused Year of Return to the Decade of Our Repatriation, covering 2026 to 2036.
He said tourism was only the first step towards permanent settlement, adding that Ghana needed practical arrangements to address citizenship, land, housing, employment and community integration.
By Eugene Ampiaw
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