The National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) has held a successful consultative meeting with some women groups on Ghana's 2022 Voluntary National Review on the SDGs in Accra.
According to the NDPC, the consultative meeting served as an avenue to beseech inputs into the final 2022 Voluntary National Review (VNR) report on the SDGs ahead of the country’s 2nd presentation in July,2022.
Speaking at the consultative meeting, Chairperson for the occasion, who doubles as a Ghanaian Author; Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana, Prof. Emerita Takyiwaa Manuh said “The adoption of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda in 2015 provides a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future. At it hears the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which are an urgent call for action by all countries develop and developing in a global partnership.
She added that Ghana has established a coordination and instituted a reporting system to periodically share progress on its implementation of the SDGs.
“Ladies and gentlemen, achieving gender equality and women’s empowerment (SDG 5) is integral to each of the 17 goals. The attainment of the goal would help address some of the major challenges of our time from economic crisis, rising inequality, violence against women and girls, to quality health care and education, and climate change, among others, all amidst the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic”
Delivering a speech on behalf of the Chief Director of the Ministry of Gender and Social Protection, Dr. Afisah Zakariah, the Principal Programme Office of the Gender and Social Protection, Sabia Kpekata said “Government through our Ministry has developed several policies, laws and strategies to address inequalities in our society. They include; A 5-year Strategic Plan to address Adolescent Pregnancy in Ghana (2018-2022), The National Gender Policy, 2015; National Framework on Ending Child Marriage, (2017-2026), Domestic Violence Act 2007 (Act 732), Domestic Violence Legislative Instrument (LI 2037), 2016; Ghana’s National Action Plan on UN Security Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security (GHANAP 2).
Madam Kpekata added that her Ministry is to draft the Affirmative Action (Gender Equality) Bill to be passed into law to provide the representation and participation of women at all levels of governance and decision making in Ghana.
She stressed that in achieving the SDGs calls for periodic reviews to measure progress made, identify challenges and galvanize support for its implementation.
She commended the NDPC for organizing the meeting with the Women Group who are key stakeholders for achieving the targets set in the agenda 2030.
Speaking exclusively to Thinknewsonline.com, the Deputy Director for SDG National Coordinator, Dr. Richard Osei Bofah said “Ghana is practicing the decentralized planning system which means that we are not doing anything unique to the SDGs but the SDGs have been mainstreamed in our plans, budgets the sub national level”
Dr. Osei Bonfah also called for a collective effort for Ghana to be able to achieve the SDGs.
“Achieving the SDGs is not the only responsibility of government but all of us”
“Ghana currently has a mixed story. There are parts of the SDGs we are doing so well and there are some parts we are not working on. As a country, that should be our priority. Open defecation is still hanging around our neck. We have 8 years and I feel we can get there”
“We are looking at SDG goal 4, 5, 14, 15 and 17. We are looking at issues of education, gender, climate and partnership. These things are very critical for discussion at the high level of the political forum” he concluded.
Other participants who spoke via zoom called for a collective effort which they believe will help Ghana achieve its intended SDG goals.
The consultative meeting also appealed to persons in higher authorities not to look down on persons living with disabilities.
The various women groups believed that giving a disabled person an opportunity to work helps bridge the inequality gap.
It emerged that while Ghana is committed to reporting progress against all 17 SDGs, special attention is paid to SDGs 4 (quality education), 5 (gender equality), 14 (life below water), 15 (life on land), and 17 (partnerships for the Goals) as these are the selected SDGs for in-depth review at the 2022 HLPF.
Ghana’s interest in undertaking this 2022 VNR despite the limited resources available although this is not mandatory, demonstrates Ghana’s commitment (as a signatory) to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and Agenda 2063:
The ongoing partnership between the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, the Africa Development Bank, and UN Women to compile the Country Gender Equality Profile with support from the United Nations Gender Team in Ghana, through UNFPA, is noteworthy.
On benefits for Ghana, the second VNR is indeed another milestone and increases the country’s visibility on the Global and Regional spaces.
The benefit of the VNR process is to place the attention once more on progress so far in achieving the gender SDG indicators and to track progress.
The UN in Ghana has created a team of agency VNR focal points who regularly meet to discuss, plan and support the VNR roadmap- helping to build synergies, avoid duplication and reduce transaction costs.
The SDGs offer a wide array of exciting partnership opportunities including Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment.
The VNR 2022 seeks to enable the identification of such opportunities and targeted follow up for increased engagement, strengthened partnerships and catalytic results.
Below are some videos and pictures:
Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith