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Tag: Gender

  • Decentralisation of School Feeding Programme will aid timely supply of quality food – Minister-Designate for Gender

    Decentralisation of School Feeding Programme will aid timely supply of quality food – Minister-Designate for Gender

    Minister-Designate for Gender, Children, and Social Protection-designate, Naa Momo has indicated that the quality and timely supply of food in Senior High Schools (SHS) can be checked when headteachers purchase foodstuffs directly.

    Appearing before the Appointments Committee in Parliament on Wednesday, Naa Momo noted that decentralizing the School Feeding Programme will aid stakeholders monitor the state of food in schools.

    “Part of my life is local governance and it comes with decentralization and I believe that we are able to effectively decentralize the feeding programme as we are also looking at it will help to ensure that it is supplied on time the food items are supplied on time and then also keep an eye on the quality from the district level.

    “And so I will be glad to sit with all stakeholders involved to look at how this implementation will work out so that the beneficiaries have the best of it,” she added.

    The School Feeding Programme under the Ghana National Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO) has been marred with challenges.

    NAFCO is a crucial contributor to the government’s flagship program, Free Senior High School with 70 percent supply of foodstuffs to schools, while 30 percent of the food supplies are acquired by school administrators following the release of funds by the government.

    On occasions government is unable to release funds on time, headteachers are left with no choice but to procure supplies from alternative sources, settling the debt once the funds are made available.

    In order to end food shortages in schools, scores of Ghanaians called for its collapse during the tenure of the Akufo-Addo government to allow school authorities purchase food items without the interference of government.

    Meanwhile, president Mahama has pledged that feeding grants will be directed to the heads of Senior High Schools to manage the purchase of food for students.

    While speaking during his Building Ghana Tour in Kambatiak, North East Region, Mahama pledged to decentralize the process of sourcing food for Senior High Schools.

    “We are coming to decentralise the cooking of food for children and the procurement of food. The headmasters of the schools are going to be responsible for procuring food for the children. They are not going to sit and wait for National Buffer Stock to bring the food.

    “If we decentralise the procurement of food, the headmasters will be able to procure the food from the farmers in the area and they will be able to buy groundnuts, they will be able to buy beans, they will be able to buy vegetables so that the children can get a nutritious diet. And so the feeding grants should not go to Buffer Stock. The feeding grants should be paid directly to the secondary schools so that the headmasters can use the money and buy nutritious food for the children. And so we are going to make Free SHS better,” he added.

  • LGBTQ: UG’s new statutes to incorporate gender-neutral pronouns 

    LGBTQ: UG’s new statutes to incorporate gender-neutral pronouns 

    The University of Ghana has taken a step towards gender inclusivity by revising its Statutes, according to the Pro-Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs, Prof. Gordon Akanzuwine Awandare.

    This announcement was made during the university’s launch of a new five-year strategic plan, which also included the unveiling of updated human resource and administrative procedures. The event took place on Wednesday, July 17, 2024, at the Great Hall.

    Prof. Awandare highlighted the significance of these changes, noting that the new statutes will incorporate gender-neutral pronouns, replacing the exclusive use of “he” or “she.”

    “One of the significant changes is our shift towards a gender-inclusive stance. The language has been updated to reflect more inclusive terms, moving away from solely ‘he’ or ‘she’ references,” Prof. Awandare stated.

    The revision of the statutes is part of a broader initiative to align the university’s regulations with contemporary and emerging national and institutional policies and processes.

    Prof. Awandare emphasized that this update supports the Vice Chancellor’s vision of creating a vibrant and responsive governance and management system.

    Prof. Gordon Akanzuwine Awandare, Pro-Vice Chancellor in charge of Academic and Student Affairs

    “The revision is in furtherance of the Vice Chancellor’s vision, which is to make the institute a vibrant and responsive governance and management system, and also to update and align the statutes with current and emerging national and university-level policies and operational processes,” he explained.

    The previous statutes, established in 2014, already included provisions aimed at promoting gender inclusivity and fostering an environment free from gender-based discrimination and bias. The new revisions build on this foundation, underscoring the university’s ongoing commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion in all aspects of its culture.

    Since 2020, the University of Ghana has confronted several distressing incidents targeting its LGBTQ community, reflecting broader societal and legislative challenges in Ghana.

    One notable incident occurred in January 2024, when a gay man was brutally assaulted on the university’s Legon campus.

    This attack began when women who had accommodated him discovered his sexual orientation, and he suffered further violence the following day from a refuse collector.

  • Stop abandoning your children at unsafe place and seek support – Gender minister to some mothers

    Stop abandoning your children at unsafe place and seek support – Gender minister to some mothers

    Dakoa Newman, the Minister for Gender, Children, and Social Protection, is urging individuals to refrain from abandoning their children in hazardous places, as it jeopardizes their well-being.

    She advised that, instead of putting these children in harm’s way, individuals should reach out to the Department of Social Welfare to find appropriate solutions.

    The Minister provided this counsel during her visit to the Kumasi Children’s Home, part of her two-day official trip to the Ashanti Region.

    Accompanied by ministry officials, she visited the facility to gain a firsthand understanding of the challenges it faces, with the aim of improving conditions in public orphanages.

    The primary objective is to ensure that the children are raised in a secure and nurturing environment.

    Currently, the Kumasi Children’s Home, established in 1965, is home to 71 children, offering them shelter, care, protection, and education.

    The Minister emphasized that, while the government is dedicated to providing resources to the facility for the well-being of the children, public support is also crucial to adequately meet their needs.

    “As the government is doing all it can to provide for the children, we continue to encourage others to also support as their social responsibility,” she noted.

    She expressed contentment with the conditions at the facility while acknowledging that there is room for improvement in enhancing the situation.

    “The government is committed to ensuring that our vulnerable children are catered for because they also have the same rights as any other child and these rights must not be infringed on,” she added.

    She assured that her Ministry would take action to tackle the identified challenges, primarily related to financial and staffing issues.

  • 3 qualities that make women fall for men without even trying

    3 qualities that make women fall for men without even trying

    Women have been stereotyped throughout history as being the more sentimental and emotional gender, while men have always been the focus of their love.

    We all have preferences when it comes to what we find beautiful in a mate, despite the fact that many individuals would like to reject the importance of attraction in human contact.

    While there are numerous things that might cause women to fall in love with men, there are three in particular that tends to make them fall in love with men without even trying.

    Confidence:

    Confidence is an attractive trait that has been scientifically proven to make people more attractive. Women are naturally drawn to men who exude confidence, as it is a sign of emotional stability and security.

    Men who are confident tend to have a subtle sense of self-assurance and self-belief rather than being haughty or boastful. Men who are confident in themselves, take the initiative, and are not easily frightened are admired by women. A confident man is also more willing to take chances, which some women may find attractive.

    A man dresses well and cleans good

    Physical appearance is an essential factor in attraction, and how a man presents himself can make all the difference. Men who take care of themselves and their appearance are more likely to attract women.

    Dressing well and having good personal hygiene show that a man takes pride in himself and cares about his overall health and well-being. Women are also more likely to be attracted to men who smell good, so investing in quality cologne or perfume can go a long way.

    Kindness:

    While physical attraction is important, women are also drawn to men who are kind and compassionate. Kindness is a sign of emotional intelligence and empathy, which are qualities that many women find appealing.

    Men who are respectful, considerate, and caring towards others are more likely to attract women because they are perceived as more trustworthy and reliable. Being kind also shows that a man is not self-centered, which can be a refreshing change from the typical alpha-male persona.

    The three traits that may make women fall for guys without them even trying are confidence, grooming, and compassion. Although the definition of attractiveness is arbitrary and changes from person to person, these three characteristics are typically viewed as being universally attractive to most women.

    In the dating world, men who exhibit these traits are more likely to be viewed as desirable and attractive. As a result, if you’re a male trying to win over women, concentrating on these three traits would be a smart place to start.

  • CHARJ’s investigation will exonerate me – Deputy Gender Minister-nominee

    A Deputy Minister nominee for the Gender, Children and Social Protection Ministry, Madam Francisca Oteng Mensah, during her vetting by the Appointments Committee of Parliament on Thursday, said she believes she will be exonerated by CHARJ’s investigations on the conflict of interest allegations.

    The Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) is investigating a conflict of interest issue concerning the purchase of quantities of hand sanitisers from the Adonko Company Limited by the National Youth Authority (NYA).

    Madam Oteng Mensah, who is also the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament (MP) for Kwabre East, told the Committee that she was the Board Chairperson of the NYA, whereas the Adonko Company Ltd belonged to her father and that she was a shareholder of the company.

    She was responding to a question raised by Mr Alhassan Sayibu Suhiyini, the NDC MP for Tamale North, on whether she was aware of a conflict of interest investigation by the CHRAJ about the NYA’s campaign to educate the populace on the COVID-19 during the peak of the pandemic.

    Mr Suyihini said the investigation concerns the budget approval of about three million Ghana Cedis to educate people on how to protect themselves from COVID-19.

    Madam Oteng Mensah said per the practice, as the Chairperson of the Board, she could not be a member of the Entity Tender Committee and so she was not on the Committee.

    “Secondly, I have no idea what they were purchasing from Adonko Company Ltd at that time. It got to the time when we were in the peak of the COVID-19 season if we all recall, getting access to sanitisers was a huge challenge, and so, at that point in time, everybody including even Members of Parliament were struggling to go anywhere that they could get sanitisers to give to their people,” she said.

    “And so, at that point in time, in that state of emergency, nothing of that sort came to me and so, I find it difficult to accept that there is any conflict of interest, it was afterward that I got to know that they even purchased some number of sanitisers from Adonko Company Ltd.”

    The nominee said the NYA did not purchase from Adonko Company alone, and that, per her checks, it also purchased from other companies like the GIHOC.

    “On the issue of conflict of interest, I am sure CHRAJ is a competent body, and with their investigations, they will be able to come out and definitely exonerate me,” she said.

    Mr Haruna Iddrisu, the Minority Leader and MP for Tamale South, reminded the nominee that Article 284 of the 1992 Constitution, provides that “A public officer shall not put himself in a position where his personal interest conflicts or is likely to conflict with the performance of the functions of his office”.

    “You Chaired the Board Meeting, which approved the Three Million Ghana Cedis.”

    In attendance at the vetting was the nominee’s husband, Mr Kwadwo Adade Amponsah, and some prominent chiefs including Barima Saasi Ayeboafo II, Chief of Mamponteng.

    The Committee earlier vetted Hajia Lariba Zuweira Abudu, NPP MP for Walewale and Minister-Designate for Gender, Children and Social Protection.

     

  • Gender Minister supports aged in Agona West

    Mrs Cynthia Mamle Morrison, the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, has started a programme to distributed food items to communities in the Agona West Constituency as part of efforts to mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 crisis.

    The move will see large numbers of the aged benefiting from the supply of the food items during the Holy Ramadan month.

    The items include gallons of cooking oil, bags of sugar, beans, and boxes of tinned tomatoes.

    The Direct Aid Society of Ghana, an Arab Organisation based in Kuwait, is supporting the Ministry to undertake the exercise.

    Speaking to the media, Mrs Morrison, who is also the Member of Parliament (MP) for Agona West, said the aged needed to be cared for in such difficult times.

    The aged in Agona Swedru and four Zongo communities have already benefited.

    Those at Agona Nyakrom, Otsenkorang, Edukrom, Nkum, Kwaman, Abodom, Ahamadonko, Lower and Upper Bobikuma and others would have their share of the supply too.

    Apart from the food items education had been intensified on the COVID-19 pandemic to contain the spread of the virus.

    Mrs Morrison was concerned that the education in the Agona West had not gone down well with the people and cautioned market women, drivers, private and government workers to adhere to the health protocols by President Akufo-Addo and the Ghana Health Service.

    The MP said social distancing, wearing of nose masks, washing of hands and other health protocols were the effective ways to combat the virus.

    She said the COVID-19 had ravaged the whole world economy, Ghana not an exception, but President Akufo-Addo was not perturbed to ensure that prudent measures were put in place to sustain the economy.

    She appealed to Ghanaians to rally behind the President in the fight against the dreadful virus, which had disorganised the lives of Ghanaians and the rest of the world.

    Mr Sami Henedak Ahmed, the Director of Direct Aid International, who accompanied the Minister, said the distribution was without politics and that the organisation would continue to support the Gender Ministry to reach out to more people in the Constituency.

    He said the organisation had targeted over 27,000 families in Ghana as part of the efforts to alleviate their suffering in the wake of dreadful virus.

    It also planned to supply food items to Muslim communities in Accra, Kumasi, Cape Coast and Takoradi in the Month of Ramadan as prayers were said to Allah to curb the spread of the disease.

    Source: GNA

  • Coronavirus: Government announces food request hotlines for needy households

    As part of measures to ensure that members of the public within the restriction of movement areas Accra, Kumasi, Tema and Kasoa live comfortably, Government has announced hotlines for needy communities and households to reach them for food items.

    They are 0800800800 and 0800900900.

    The distribution of food followed the restriction of movement within some areas and the suspension of social gatherings, which had made it impossible for some people to continue to earn a living through their petty businesses and trading activities.

    Mrs Cynthia Mamle Morrison, the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection who announced the hotlines while the Sector and the Ministry of Finance were offloading food items to faith-based organisations to share to needy individuals and communities in the affected areas.

    Government, she said, since the restriction of movement distributed between 400,000 and 450,000 packs of food every day to needy people including persons with disability in affected areas.

    Government also secured a 500 seater-capacity hostel for kayaye, she said, and gave assurance that they would be transported into the facility on Monday April 6, 2020 to ensure they lived comfortably without fear.

    Mrs Morrison explained that government collaborated with faith-based organisations through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding, as they had demonstrated a commitment towards promoting the wellbeing of vulnerable people, to enable them to ensure that they lived fulfilled lives.

    She advised the public to observe the COVID-19 preventive measures, drink more water with lime, and build their immune systems with healthy diets to resist the virus infection.

    He appealed to individuals who benefit from move, to discipline themselves not to strive to take another one which could have been given to another person in dire need.

    Mr Ken Ofori-Atta, the Minister of Finance, said if government prolongs the restriction of movement and suspension of social gathering, government would be left with no option than to continue to support the needy and vulnerable with basic necessities. He believed this pandemic period, called for sacrifice from all bodies including the government to ensure that there was availability of social justice and fairness for everyone.

    “Government recognises the economic impact that this partial lockdown has had on families in low income communities who are mostly dependent on their daily income for sustenance; and this is well described by the Akan expression Ankor a, endidi”.

    “Fortunately, the Ghana Buffer Stock Company has a significant amount of food stock that can alleviate some of the difficulties within our low-income communities in Accra and Kumasi,” the Minister said.

    Most Reverend Dr Paul Kwabena Boafo, the Presiding Bishop of the Methodist and Chairman of the Christian Council of Ghana, expressed gratitude to government and religious bodies for the support rendered to control the effects of the pandemic in the country.

    What the nation was facing with the world, he said, was an opportunity to deepen the relationship that existed between faith based organisations and governments to address the challenges of people from the grassroots.

    He gave an assurance that the church would identify the most needy households and individuals and distribute the food items to them.

    He also said leadership of the churches in the country would continue to pray for leaders of the nation, front liners, borders and entire nation to ensure that the nation emerged victorious in the fight against the pandemic.

     

    Source: GNA

  • 80% of sexual and gender-based violence perpetrated by men Department of Gender

    The Director of the Department of Gender in the Central Region, Madam Thywill Eyra Kpe, has disclosed that it is very good to engage men and boys in discussions concerning sexual and gender-based violence since about 80% of the perpetrators are men.

    As parts of efforts to sensitize adolescents, especially boys, on their sexual reproductive health, Mrs Thywill Kpe revealed in an interview at Ekumfi in the Central Region that according to statistics from the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU), majority of sexual and gender-based violence are caused by men, hence it is prudent that men are included in such advocacy activities as partners.

    This move is aimed at finding a total and wholistic end to sexual and gender-based violence.

    “Last year, as part of moves to address issues of adolescent girls particularly teenage pregnancy, adolescent reproductive issues and teenage pregnancy, we realized it is important to also engage the men and the boys.”

    “From the data in our quarters, DOVVSU, we realized that about 80% of the perpetrators of domestic violence are men, whiles 80% of victims are also women.”

    “Therefore, if we want to address the issue of sexual and gender-based violence, it is important that we engage the men as partners to help in the fight against gender-based violence” she noted.

    Sex is an activity involving both sexes, then it is important boys are also spoken to about their sexual and reproductive health so they become informed about their sexual activities and its repercussions.

    According to her, she stated that the Ghana Health Service data in 2017, about 19% of persons who impregnate these adolescent girls are boys who graduated from the basic school or just completed Junior High School.

    This, therefore, means that leaving them out of the equation is not prudent if indeed the Central Region wants to really eradicate or reduce the rate of teenage pregnancy in the region drastically.

    “When it comes to sex, it is both sides. For instance, if you look at the Ghana Health Service data in 2017, it shows you that about 19% of those who impregnate these girls in the region are boys who have just completed Junior High School and boys between the ages of 10 and 19 years. So, we realized that it was important we engaged these group of boys as part of our advocacy work to end sexual and gender-based violence and promote good adolescent sexual and reproductive health practices that can help us reduce teenage pregnancy in the Central Region” she stated.

    The gender ministry is really fighting hard to reduce drastically teenage pregnancy and all sorts of gender-based violence.

    As a result, the Department of Gender in the Central Region, led by the Director, Madam Thywill Eyra Kpe has been organizing series of capacity building and empowerment workshops for both boys, girls, men and women.

    So far about 100 men have been selected from six districts in the region and have been empowered to lead a fearless campaign to drastically reduce the spate of sexual and gender-based violence rearing up its ugly head in the region.

     

    Source: Obuobi Onesiphorus, Contributor