UN Women Reaffirms Commitment to Gender Equality And Ending Violence Against Ghanaian Women

UN Women has recommitted to advancing gender equality and ending violence against women and girls in Ghana, as its Regional Director led a high-level delegation to deepen collaboration with the government.

Regional Director Dr Maxine Houinato paid a courtesy call on the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Hon. Dr Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, to discuss joint areas of work aimed at protecting women and girls and accelerating progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 5.

Dr Houinato highlighted preparations for a high-level regional forum ahead of 2030 and announced that Ghana has been selected as one of the countries to benefit from a new UN Women-supported initiative focused on preventing violence against women and girls through community engagement and transformation of harmful social norms.

The delegation reaffirmed UN Women’s longstanding partnership with Ghana and underscored the importance of working with community structures, traditional authorities and religious leaders to address harmful practices and promote the rights of women and girls.

Responding, Hon. Dr Agnes Naa Momo Lartey welcomed the renewed commitment and reiterated the government’s determination to strengthen legal and policy frameworks to combat violence against women and girls.

She disclosed that the Cabinet has approved a revised Domestic Violence Policy and that amendments are being pursued for the Domestic Violence Act to broaden its scope and ensure a more responsive framework for emerging forms of violence.

The Minister also highlighted the implementation of the Affirmative Action Act, 2024, which seeks to increase women’s participation in decision-making and promote gender equality across public and private institutions, noting that public sensitisation and institutional compliance will be critical to achieving its targets.

She further stressed the need to address online and technology-facilitated violence against women, pointing to gaps in digital and business management skills identified through ongoing programmes.

She said creating safe digital spaces is essential to ensure women and girls can fully participate in the digital economy and contribute to national development.

Both parties reaffirmed their commitment to deepening collaboration to advance the rights, protection and empowerment of women and girls in Ghana as the 2030 deadline for the SDGs approaches.

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