The Minister for Gender, Children And Social Protection, Darkoa Newman has stated that the Protection of children from violence, exploitation and harmful practices remains a priority of Government.
She said this, noting the SDG Goal 5 and 16 which highlights Child Protection and Gender Equality.
The Gender Minister made this assertion at the Model Children’s SDG Summit held in Accra on Tuesday, June 25,2024.
Since COVID-19, the hard-earned SDG progress has been threatened, and the SDGs are falling significantly behind the 2030 target.
To ensure that these goals are fast-tracked and not further delayed or even possibly abandoned, the need for children’s participation has become imperative especially, when it comes to key SDGs related to children such as Goal 1 – Poverty, Goal 2 – nutrition, Goal 3 – health, Goal 4 – education, Goal 6 – WASH, goal 13 – climate etc.
Due to the above, the Children’s Model Summit was organised by the Ministry for Gender, Children And Social Protection (MoGCSP), Department of Children together with its partners including UNICEF to extend the scope of children’s participation and to offer a forum to solicit their voices in influencing what policies and laws are enacted.
The forum also activated the National Children’s Parliament (NCP) with participants from all 16 regions converging in Accra to discuss the future of the world and emerging issues such as climate change, conflicts, deforestation and how they affect children.
Over 50 children from the National Children’s Parliament converged in Accra to participate in the Summit.
The participants were drawn with the help of the different Regional offices of the DOC, Partner Agencies like World Vision International, Plan Ghana International, Child Right International, International Needs amongst others.
To ensure inclusion and diversity, children with disabilities, out-of-school children, urban, peri-urban, urban slums and rural children were also part of the summit with a balance between boys and girls.
At the end of the discussions, a summary paper on the challenges, recommendations and views was presented to the stakeholders for consideration in future policies.
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Speaking at the Summit, the Minister was impressed by the input of the children, saying that insights and recommendations by the students are not mere words but a call to action.
Darkoa Newman noted that Ghana’s journey towards achieving the SDGs has been marked by significant milestones.
According to her, the government has implemented various social protection programmes aimed at reducing poverty among orphaned and vulnerable children and their families.
She said initiatives such as the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) programme has provided financial assistance to the most vulnerable households, ensuring that basic needs such as nutrition, healthcare and school enrollment are met.
The Gender Minister also stated that education has been a cornerstone of the Government’s development strategy with the introduction of Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education(FCUBE) since 1993.
She added that the Free Senior High School (Free SHS) programme which was introduced has significantly increased access to secondary education, ensuring that no child is left behind due to financial constraints.
The Gender Minister again said investments in school infrastructure, teacher training allowance, and curriculum development have enhanced the quality of education, adding that digital learning tools have been introduced to bridge the gap for students in remote areas.
She also noted that since 2005, the School Feeding Programme has provided one hot meal for students in deprived areas and currently serves over 2.6 million children in 9000 basic schools around the country.
Darkoa Newman noted that the government has also made substantial investments in the health sector to improve maternal and child health outcomes, explaining that the expansion of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) has increased access to essential health services.
Also, she said Programmes focused on reducing malnutrition, such as the distribution of vitamin supplements and the promotion of breastfeeding, have also been strengthened.
Again, she said efforts to improve immunization coverage have led to a significant reduction in preventable diseases among children.
“On Goal 5 and 16 where Child Protection and Gender Equality come to play, protecting children from violence, exploitation, and harmful practices is a priority. The government together with partners has strengthened legal frameworks and enforcement mechanisms to safeguard children’s rights. Currently the Children’s Act and the Juvenile Justice Act are being amended. Every region has a multi-sectoral child protection committee to aid in the coordination and implementation interventions in promoting and protecting the rights of children. Community-based child protection programs have been scaled up, and partnerships with non-governmental organizations have been enhanced to create safer environments for children. The use of the Child Protection Toolkit has been accepted by all and well understood,” she stated.
The Gender Minister said the summit has demonstrated the incredible potential of the children to contribute meaningfully to the development agenda.
“Your voices will help shape the policies and actions that drive our nation forward. As we move towards the Summit of the Future, your contributions will serve as a guiding light, reminding us of the importance of inclusivity and the power of collective action,” she stated.
The Gender Minister called on all stakeholders and partners including UNICEF, the SDG Advisory Office, World Vision Ghana, Plan International, International Needs, Compassion International, Children’s Believe, Rains Ghana and Child Rights International to strive to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, ensuring that no child is left behind.
Ghana| Atinkaonline.com| Porcia Oforiwaa Ofori