VICE President Professor Naana Jane Opoku- Agyemang has assured the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection of government’s continuous support to strengthen its role in protecting the vulnerable in society.
She gave the assurance when she paid a working visit to the Ministry in Accra yesterday.
“We want you to believe that we have your back. Our purpose is to listen and to ensure that we are giving you the right support. We want the country to succeed.
“We want our President to succeed. We want everybody to succeed,” the Vice President said.
She commended the Ministry for its work, adding that issues of gender, children, and the vulnerable were central to national development.
According to her, gender was not about women alone but about every group in society, including men, children, persons living with disabilities and the elderly.
“Your work is very, very important”.
“We know it is enormous, but it is important. We should be mindful that gender is about boys, girls, women, men and those who are differently abled. We cannot leave anyone behind,” she stressed.
Prof. Opoku- Agyemang also used the visit to call for strong public education on health issues such as breast cancer.
She said early detection saves lives and urged women, families and communities to take screening seriously.
“Catch it early. It is very, very important,” she said, adding that stigma around illness should stop because sickness is not a personal choice but something that can happen to anyone. “What those affected need is understanding, sympathy and support so they know they are not alone and help is possible.”
She urged the Ministry to work with other ministries to ensure gender issues were mainstreamed into all sectors.
The Vice President encouraged parents and families to continue supporting one another in raising children.
“Nobody is a perfect parent. It is us imperfect people who become parents anyway. So we just need to support each other and play our roles accordingly,” she advised.
In her welcome remarks, the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, described the Vice President’s visit as one of the most memorable days in the history of the Ministry.
She explained that the Ministry was mandated to coordinate and ensure gender equality, promote social protection and child development, and integrate the empowerment of vulnerable groups into national development.
Outlining recent achievements, she disclosed that several new policies and laws had been approved, including the National Gender Policy (2025–2034), the Early Childhood Care and Development Policy (2025–2034), the Domestic Violence Policy (2025–2035), and the Social Protection Act.
She noted that the Social Protection Act gives the Ministry the authority to coordinate all social protection interventions across government agencies.
The Minister also highlighted progress on the planned establishment of a Women’s Development Bank, which has received seed funding from government, as well as efforts to strengthen the school feeding programme.
She said the LEAP programme had been expanded and disbursements were being made on time, while reports of child abuse and gender-based violence were being addressed in collaboration with the police.
“With more awareness of what abuse is, people are watching out for each other and reporting cases. This puts the Ministry and stakeholders on their toes to respond quickly,” she said.
BY AGNES OPOKU SARPONG
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