Bertha Badu-Agyei
Accra, Feb 22, GNA – The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection is to set up a daycare facility at the office premises to support working mothers.
Dr Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, who announced this, described it as a commitment of her ministry towards achieving Gender parity in line with the Affirmative Action and Gender Equity law.
“I want to set an example of the importance of providing certain critical facilities to support women to pursue their careers and climb to the top,” she said.
The Minister, who met with female journalists in the Ghanaian media space, was certain that such a move would influence media organisations, especially to set up such facilities to adresss the reproductive health needs of female journalists.
About 40 selected female senior journalists and editors from various media houses attended the meeting where the minister shared her vision and court the support from the female journalists to help her succeed in delivering on the mandate.
She reiterated that President Mahama was bent on reducing vulnerabilities to the barest minimum and that her Ministry had an onerous task to reform the existing social protection Bill to become a working document.
“Other key interventions on the heart of President Mahama is transformation of the school feeding programme to ensure that quality foods are served to the Ghanaian children to achieve the intended purpose.”
She also mentioned free distribution of sanitary pads to schools within the 120 days of the NDC government and many others to ensure implementation of the Affirmative Action law meant to bridge the gender gap.
Dr Charity Binka, Executive Director of Women, Media and Change (WOMEC) and Ghana Chapter president of the African Women Leaders Network (AWLN), commended the Minister for the meeting and looked forward to a healthy working relationship with the media.
She called on the female journalists to bring their experiences and expertise on women and children issues covered over the years to bear on the many interventions the Minister had outlined for the benefit of society.
Madam Afua Ansere, Senior Gender specialist at UN Women, on her part, said the media, especially female journalists played an integral role in championing gender issues and assured of her outfit readiness to support the ministry’s agenda.
GNA