By Solomon Gumah
Tamale, April 17, GNA – Dr Timothy Kwabla Zilevu, Senior Lecturer and Doctoral Programmes Coordinator at the University for Professional Studies Accra (UPSA) says exclusion of marginalised groups from data, policy design and accountability drives poor public policies.
He said ineffective policies were often not accidental, but the result of deliberate or structural gaps that failed to consider the realities of vulnerable populations.
Dr Zilevu made the remarks during a presentation on pro-poor, gender, and disability-responsive policies in Ghana at a two-day regional convening of partners and associates under the “I Am Aware” (IAA) Project held in Tamale.
The convening, organised by the Ghana Center for Democratic Development in partnership with the Africa Centre for Governance Studies, and supported locally by Simba Ghana with funding from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, was on the theme: “From Evidence to Influence.”
The event brought together Civil Society Organisations, Community-Based Organisations, media practitioners, and citizen groups from across the Northern Zone to strengthen citizen participation and promote inclusive and evidence-based policymaking.
Dr Zilevu emphasised that gender, disability, and poverty were interconnected and must be addressed holistically rather than treated as separate policy concerns.
He said policies that ignored these intersections often failed to respond effectively to the needs of marginalised groups.
He described disaggregated data as “non-negotiable,” explaining that reliance on national averages masked inequalities and excluded vulnerable populations from policy considerations.
Dr Zilevu underscored the importance of social accountability tools such as report cards, social audits, and budget tracking, describing them as essential structural mechanisms for correcting policy failures rather than optional additions.
Mr Mohammed Awal, Project Lead at CDD-Ghana, said the convening was aimed at enhancing citizens’ capacity to monitor public projects and improve data literacy for effective service delivery and pro-poor policy analysis.
He said it also sought to promote inclusive and coordinated advocacy, strengthen media engagement and accountability, facilitate knowledge sharing, and encourage constructive engagement between citizens and duty-bearers.
Mr Awal noted that empowering citizens with the right tools and knowledge was essential to ensuring that public policies responded to the needs of all citizens, especially vulnerable groups.
Mr Mohammed Mubeen, Planning Officer at the Ga East Municipal Assembly in the Greater Accra Region, took participants through the workings of the local government system and outlined key entry points for citizen participation in decision-making.
Mr Zakaria Sulemana, a Gender Equality and Social Inclusion advocate, expressed optimism that the knowledge gained would enable participants to demand transparency, track development projects, and advocate policies that address the needs of all segments of society.
GNA
Edited by Eric K. Amoh/Audrey Dekalu