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UNESCO delegation pays courtesy call on Gender Minister to deepen collaborative
The Head of Office and Representative of UNESCO to Ghana, Mr. Edmond Moukala, led a delegation to pay a courtesy call on the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Hon. Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, to explore strategic areas of collaboration aimed at advancing inclusive education, gender equality, and youth empowerment.
The discussions focused on promoting educational opportunities for young mothers, empowering them to return to school, and addressing the persistent stigma that limits their ability to thrive.
Both parties recognised the importance of inclusive policies and interventions that allow young mothers to pursue their education without discrimination.
Other key areas of interest included the provision of training in entrepreneurship and digital skills for women and girls. These efforts are expected to enhance economic empowerment and promote self-reliance among women.
The delegation also discussed in-depth issues related to gender-based violence and the urgent need for stronger advocacy and preventive measures. There was mutual agreement on the importance of integrating gender and reproductive health education into all educational curricula to help foster safer and healthier learning environments for children and adolescents.
The engagement further highlighted the need to promote girls’ participation in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) and support women in the media space, thereby opening doors for leadership and representation in key sectors.
The Minister acknowledged that the Ministry, being a cross-cutting institution, works collaboratively with nearly all other Ministries to ensure that the needs of women, children, and other vulnerable populations are mainstreamed into national development.
She noted that UNESCO’s support aligns strongly with the government’s broader development goals.
She emphasized the Ministry’s commitment to championing the President’s priorities which include: gender equality, inclusive education, youth empowerment, and poverty reduction.
Also present at the meeting was the Chief Director of the Ministry, Dr. Afisah Zakariah.
The family of Ambassador James Victor Gbeho, a distinguished statesman and diplomat, has paid a courtesy call on President John Dramani Mahama. They officially informed him of his passing.
The delegation, representing the Gbeho family, noted that it was culturally and diplomatically important to formally notify the President of the loss before making a public announcement of his death.
Ambassador Gbeho was a towering figure in Ghanaian and international politics. He served in many diplomatic missions, including New York. He was Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, a Member of Parliament for the Anlo constituency, and President (formerly Executive Secretary) of the ECOWAS Commission.
He was widely respected for his role in regional integration and his contributions to global diplomacy at the United Nations.
President Mahama expressed his condolences and shared reflections on Ambassador Gbeho’s contributions to the country, West Africa and the world.
Funeral details will be announced later.
The Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, has revoked all firearm permits in Ghana with immediate effect and announced a new registration process for all gun owners.
The minister made the announcement on Tuesday, June 23, at the information service department saying all individuals who currently hold licences to own firearms or sidearms must undergo a fresh registration process.
“From this afternoon, all permits that have been granted to any individual that you are holding a sidearm or firearm is hereby revoked,” Mr Muntaka said.
He explained that the government had identified gaps in the country’s firearm registration system and needed to introduce stricter measures to improve public safety.
“We are opening the window where everyone will have to come forward again to register or re-register the gun because we’ve changed the procedure,” he stated.
According to him, the government decided not to wait until the end of the year to make the changes because lives could still be saved within the next six months.
The Interior Minister said one of the new requirements would be mandatory mental health screening for applicants seeking firearm licences.
“We’ve seen that people with mental health have already gone through and have the sidearm. Now we are introducing mental health. Before we give you the sidearm, we have to be sure that you have the mental stability to hold the firearms,” he said.
Mr Muntaka also announced that applicants would be required to undergo drug tests before being granted licences.
“We’ve also realised that people who are on drugs are also holding their arms and they are legitimate because it’s been registered. Now you have to go through drug tests to be sure that you are not on drugs before you can hold sidearms,” he added.
The minister said the new measures form part of efforts by the government to tighten firearm control and prevent legally registered weapons from falling into the wrong hands.
He urged all firearm owners to cooperate with the new registration process once details of the exercise are announced.
By: Jacob Aggrey
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