Ghana’s Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr. Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, has reaffirmed the country’s dedication to advancing gender equality and sustainable development during the inaugural Women in Sustainability Africa (WiSA) Summit.
The summit, themed “The Role of Women as a Source of Labour and Agents of Sustainability,” brought together policymakers, leaders, and advocates from across the continent to highlight the essential contributions of women to sustainable development.
In her remarks, Dr. Lartey emphasized the government’s continued efforts to embed gender equality into national development policies. She pointed to the National Gender Policy (2015) as a foundation for promoting economic inclusion—particularly for women with disabilities.
She also outlined current initiatives from her Ministry, including the creation of a national toolkit to actively engage men and boys in gender equality efforts, transforming them into advocates for positive social change.
A key milestone, she noted, was the recent passage of Ghana’s Affirmative Action Act, which aims to boost women’s participation in leadership and decision-making roles, building a more inclusive governance framework.
Dr. Lartey further highlighted how social protection programs—such as the Ghana School Feeding Programme—are being used to support both child welfare and women’s economic empowerment through local sourcing from female farmers.
To close her address, she announced a strategic partnership with the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), aimed at integrating gender-sensitive approaches into Ghana’s National Adaptation Plan for climate change resilience.
