THE MINISTRY OF GENDER, CHILDREN and SOCIAL
PROTECTION (MoGCSP)
MINISTERIAL STATEMENT – MEET THE PRESS 2014
INTRODUCTION AND MANDATE
The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MoGCSP) was
established by Executive Instrument (E.I.) 1 in 2013 which has resulted in a
merger of the then Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs (MOWAC)
with the Department of Social Welfare (DSW), National Council on Persons
with Disability(NCPD) and the Social Protection Division of the Ministry of
Employment and Social Welfare (MESW).
Consequently the new MoGCSP has assumed a new and expanded
mandate to ensure gender equality, promote the welfare and protection of
children, and to empower the vulnerable, excluded, the aged and persons
with disabilities, for sustainable national development.
FUNCTIONS
In line with the Ghana Shared Growth and Development Agenda (GSGDA),
the Ministry implements its programmes and activities as guided by the
following sector policy objectives:
1. Develop a comprehensive social development policy framework
2. Provide timely, reliable and disaggregated data for policy making and
planning
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3. Enhance institutional arrangement for inter- and intra-sectoral
collaboration
4. Promote gender equity in political, social and economic development
systems and outcomes
5. Safeguard the security, safety and protection of the rights of the
vulnerable in society, especially the girl child and women
6. Promote effective child development in all communities, especially
deprived areas
7. Protect children against violence, abuse and exploitation
8. Ensure a more effective appreciation of and inclusion of disability
issues in national discourse
9. Mainstream issues on ageing in the development planning process.
The Ministry has the under listed work units to assist the implementation of
its policiesand programmes in pursuance of its broad objectives:
1. Department of Gender
2. Department of Children
3. Department of Social Development
4. Domestic Violence Secretariat
5. Human Trafficking Secretariat
6. National Council on Persons with Disability
MoGCSP RESTRUCTURING
With the expansion of the Ministry’s mandate, there was an urgent need to
develop a new organisational structure and performance management
framework to facilitate the operations of the Ministry. The Ministry engaged
the services of the Management Services Division (MSD) inthe Office of the
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Head of Civil Service (OHCS) to facilitate the process of restructuring the
Ministry.
The restructuring exercise commenced with the development of the
Ministry’s Agenda for Change.
This document sets out the vision and
direction of an expanded Ministry, its role as it relates to the NDC Manifesto
and provides an overview of how the Ministry should be structured in order
to achieve its objectives. Two consultants have been engaged to drive the
entire restructuring and change management processes as well as the
development of a 5-year Strategic Development Plan for the Ministry
respectively.
The MSD is in the process of concluding its assignment of engaging in
benchmark interactions with the various Secretariats and selected Regional
Directorates of the Ministry to finalise the development of the new
organizational structure as well as the performance management
framework. The Ministry intends to subject the organogram manual to a
thorough review and generate job descriptions for staff, based on their
competencies and the expected background and calibre required for each
division and department.
SUCCESSES IN 2013 and 2014
The Ministry’s policies are guided by the Ghana Shared Growth and
Development Agenda (GSGDA) and the Sector Medium-Term Plan
(SMTP) 2010-1013. In 2013 and the first half of 2014, our Ministry made
some remarkable achievements in the implementation of its programmes,
including the following:
a. Drafted and validated the Comprehensive Restructuring Plan and
Performance Management Framework to reflect its new and
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expanded mandate, which also aim at enhancing performance and
service delivery at all levels
b. Commissioned the development of institutional restructuring and the
Human Resources Policy to enhance performance delivery of the
new Ministry
c. Drafted a National Gender Policy to address Gender Equality, Equity
and Empowerment of Women for National Development
d. Commissioned the development of a 5-year Strategic Plan
e. Commenced preparations for the Ministry’s involvement in the Ghana
Statistics Development Project which will enhance the capacity of the
Ministry and its partner institutions to collect and coordinate data and
statistics and to match its progress against the Millennium
Development Goals and other benchmarks
f. Launched the inaugural Women’s Summit on International Women’s
Day which provides a platform to recognise women’s contribution to
Ghana, promote gender equality and celebrate the country’s
progress.
The summit brings together female parliamentarians,
ambassadors, ministers, ladies of the clergy, chiefs and queen
mothers, women in academia and in the corporate and business
fields, market women, students, public servants and civil society
organisations
g. Established a Communications Unit and a Desk for the Aged within
the Ministry to address these critical areas of concern.
The Ministry under the periodof review also achieved the following results
under its various Departments, Units and Secretariatsas follows:
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Gender Equality and Equity
a. Sponsored the draft Affirmative Action Bill. The Bill is now ready, a
second draft having been prepared by the Attorney-General’s
Department and consultation, before submitting to Cabinet, is under
way
b. Co-sponsored the Intestate Succession and Property Rights of
Spouses Bills with the Ministry of Justice
c. Undertook fistula repairs for sixty eight (68) women from the Upper
East, Upper West, Volta and Central Regions of Ghana, in
collaboration with a team of doctors at the Mercy Health Centre,
Mankessim.
Beneficiaries
have
also
received
assistance
to
reintegrate into their society
d. Under the Gender Responsive Skills and Community Development
Project (GRSCDP), the Ministry granted scholarships to 668 girls
from 2011/2012 and 2012/2013 academic years, and presented
equipment in 59 districts, including 25 to Department of Community
Development-run institutions and 8 to the National Vocational
Training Institute (NVTI)
e. Participated and presented a status report on gender issues in Ghana
at the 57thand 58th sessions of the UN Commission on the Status of
Women (CSW), hosting a side event this year on ‘Assessing Ghana’s
implementation of the Millennium Development Goals for Women and
Girls: best practices, opportunities and the way forward’as well as
participating in the general discussion in the ‘UNAIDS Special Event
on HIV and Gender Equality as part of the Post-2015 Agenda’. The
delegation also participated in panel discussions and side events
organized by other member states
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f. Developed Gender Analysis Framework and Planning Templates to
guide the inclusion of gender issues in planning processes for poverty
reduction, economic, agriculture and infrastructural development at
the local level
g. Arranged for the Institute of Local Government Studies to train 243
officials on strategies to mainstream gender into planning and
monitoring programmes and activities. Beneficiaries of this training
included officials of the Department of Gender, home science
instructors of the Department of Community Development, staff of the
GRSCDP and District Policy Coordinating Unit (DPCU) staff of
beneficiary districts across the country
h. Commenced work on creating a database of microfinance institutions
and women’s groups to ensure sustainable microeconomic stability.
In
the
area
of
Children's Rights
Promotion,
Protection
and
Development, the Ministry:
a. Finalised the National Child and Family Welfare Policy to ensure the
holistic protection and welfare of the Ghanaian child within a
functional family welfare system.
Stakeholder consultations have
been held nationwide to obtain community input from over 7,000
Ghanaians from all walks of life, and to galvanize public support for
the policy
b. Commissioned the development of the Justice for Children Policy and
inaugurated an Advisory Committee to guide the process.
framework for the policy has already been drafted
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The
c. Commenced review of the Early Childhood Care and Development
(ECCD) Policy to improve ECCD services for children aged 0-8years.
Standards for monitoring and measuring performance of children (03years) in nurseries have been developed
d. Submitted Ghana’s 3rd, 4th& 5th Consolidated Report on the
implementation of the Convention on the Right of the Child,
highlighting practical strides made to address the concerns of
children in Ghana
e. Finalized Ghana’s Initial and 2nd Consolidated Report to the African
Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child
f. Commenced a campaign against violence and abuse against children
with specific focus on early and forced marriage, cyber safety,
corporal punishment, and gender-based violence in schools
g. Undertook to increase research and improve data and information on
children (e.g. national registration of Kayayei)
h. Initiated plans to renovate the Efua Sutherland and Dansoman
Children’s Parks. UT Bank has committed to funding the renovations.
i. Hosted approximately 6000 children at The President’s End of Year
Party for Children, the AU Day of the Child and National Children’s
Day celebrations.
Under Social Development:
a. 73,134 LEAP beneficiaries’ in100districts in all ten (10) regions have
received social grants to improve their socio-economic status, ensure
the survival and development of their children as well as promoting
the welfare of the vulnerable and excluded in society. Another 4,676
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have been identified and are ready to be enrolled. This represents
well over a third of the 232,000people in the target population
b. The Ministry registered 288 people with disabilities (PWDs)to better
target service delivery
c. Successfully piloted four (4) rounds of electronic payments of LEAP
grants piloted in three (3)ecological zones for the purpose of ensuring
secured,
timely
and
efficient
transfer
of
cash
to
beneficiaries.Electronic payments were piloted in nine (9) districts in
seven (7) regions for 7,616 beneficiary households
d. Submitted a Cabinet Memo and received approval to expand the
Ministry’s mandate to include the power to establish institutional
arrangements with the aim of coordinating social protection
interventions in Ghana
e. Developed
the
Complementary
Services
(Social
Protection
Interventions) Registry to enhance the socio-economic status of
beneficiaries and for the sustainability of LEAP
f. Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Framework and Manuals for LEAP
were developed to track progress, identify gaps and design timely
interventions for the implementation of LEAP; and the challenges with
regular payments have been addressed
g. Trained 25 District Officers of the Department of Social Welfare
(DSW) on social policy and M&E to enhance the implementation of
the LEAP Programme
h. Distributed
information,
education
and
communication
(IE&C)
material on the LEAP programme with support from UNICEF. 85,000
household booklets, 800 flip charts and over 1000 policy briefs were
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distributed in 100 districts, 10 regions, 13 MDAs, as well as to nongovernment and civil service organisations
i. Developed a framework for a National Targeting Mechanism to
facilitate the implementation of other social protection interventions
and thus reduce duplication of programmes and interventions
j. Provided 7,331 market traders affected by fire in four (4)markets with
cash grants to replenish their businesses, thereby enabling them to
recover and improving their ability to generate income
k. Developed a comprehensive Disability Development Framework
addressing
causative
elements
with
provision
for
whole-life
interventions and support
l. Inaugurated the Disability Management Board
m. Provided shelter and care for 800 orphans and trained 1406
caregivers in all ten (10) regions
n. Assisted in reuniting 983 children in orphanages with their families,
and 22 orphanages that have not met requirements were also closed
down
o. Placed a moratorium on child adoption in Ghana to address current
challenges and protect adopted children and their foster parents
p. Commenced a review of the adoption processes in Ghana by
proposing an amendment to the Children’s Act,1998 (Act 560) and
finalising the draft Adoption and Foster Care Regulations for
Parliament which will establish a Central Adoption Authority and
ensure accession to The Hague Convention
q. Established a national register for non-governmental organisations to
ensure effective identification, collaboration and monitoring.
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Under programmes and policy for the Aged, the Ministry:
a. Established the Aged Desk in the Ministry, adopted Terms of
Reference for the Aged Advisory Committee and raised awareness in
three (3) regions on issues concerning the aged
b. Initiated a policy to implement free public transport and priority
access for the elderly on private transport and in hospitals and banks
c. Celebrated the National Day for the Aged to raise awareness on the
need to develop and implement relevant interventions for the aged
d. In addition, 3530 people have been registered on the National Health
Insurance Scheme database in two short months this year in a piloted
biometric registration programme for the aged in collaboration with
the National Health Insurance Authority. Another 500 people will be
registered this week. The breakdown follows.
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COMMUNITY
AGED PERSONS REGISTERED
AkotoLante
313
Chorkor
269
Ashaiman
513
La
250
Teshie
407
Nungua
233
SabonZongo
721
Nima
402
Agona East
422
TOTAL
3530
A total of 10,000 people are targeted for registration in the pilot.
Seven communities in Greater Accra have already been canvassed,
with approximately 500 people being targeted for registration in each
community. Registration is integral to ensuring full coverage of social
protection for those most vulnerable and enables coordination across
all social protection programmes.
The National Council on Persons with Disability is gaining momentum
In 2013 and early 2014, the Council:
a. Drafted accessibility standards for inclusion in the preparation of
universal design principles for access and communications
b. Equipped 2,100 beneficiaries with hearing aids in conjunction with the
Starkey Hearing Foundation.
Through
the
Domestic
Violence
and
Human
Trafficking
Secretariats,the Ministry achieved the following:
a. Finalised the Human Trafficking and Domestic Violence Regulations
with
the
Attorney-General’s
Department
to
facilitate
the
implementation of their respective Acts
b. Developed guidelines to facilitate disbursement fromthe Human
Trafficking Fund established by the Human Trafficking Act, 2005, (Act
694) for the protection, rehabilitation and reintegration of human
trafficking victims
c. Drafted a referral system for victims of trafficking to enhance access
to appropriate services
d. Developed a communication strategy on domestic violence matters to
raise awareness, facilitate sensitization, and implement educational
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campaigns and training for the prevention and protection of survivors
of gender-based violence
e. Developed a training manual for domestic violence service providers
for enhanced service delivery to survivors of domestic violence
f. The Domestic Violence Victim Support Fund is in operation, its first
disbursement having been made this year in May. The fund provides
support for victims of domestic violence and is also intended to assist
the implementation of relevant anti-DV interventions
g. Sensitized stakeholders (traditional authorities, media, CSOs, and
NGOs and law enforcement agencies) in the use of the DV Act to
expand the knowledge base of stakeholders and thus contributed
substantially to the prevention and protection of DV cases
h. Observed 16 days of activism against gender-based violence.
FINANCIAL ANALYSIS
The Ministryhas a constrained budget. The budget allocation is not
commensurate
with
our
expanded
mandate
and
expected
deliverables. The Ministry has now expanded to include the Department of
Social Welfare and the National Council on Persons with Disability.
In 2013, MOGCSP was allocated GH¢53,382,672 in the Annual Budget
Estimates to implement its programmes: GH¢38,166,022 representing the
total
GOG
approved
annual
budget
and,
GH¢14,966,650 and
GH¢250,000 representing total budget from donors and Internally
Generated Funds (IGF) respectively. Out of the total, the Ministry received
GH¢29,826,481 (56%) for the implementation of its programmes leaving a
variance of GH¢18,797,238.
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For the 2014 fiscal year, the Ministry has been allocatedGH¢91,038,708
under the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) estimates. We
believe that if it is approved, we will be able to implement most of the
programmes and activities planned within our nine (9) key sector policy
objectives to achieve outcomes in line with the National Medium Term
Framework.
Earmarked donor funding
A number of projects have been earmarked for specific donor funding.
 DFID has committed GBP £30 million for cash grants and another
£6m for institutional strengthening, capacity building and
development of systems and structures, to be distributed over four (4)
years, to the end of 2016
 USAID has provided US$4 million over four (4) years to fund the
UNICEF-supported LEAP 1000 initiative for pregnant and lactating
women, providing US$4 million
 The World Bank will provide US$25 million for social protection policy
development, LEAP cash transfers and to assist the establishment of
the National Targeting Unit
 The Netherlands will provide US$6 million to assist with the Early
Childhood Care and Development Policy
 DANIDA has committed GH¢800,000 for programmes to end
violence against women and girls
CHALLENGES IN 2013
The Ministry achieved its successes amidst many challenges which
affected performance. These challenges include:
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a. The current categorization of the LEAP cash transfer budget under
‘Goods and Services’by the Ministry of Finance, which affects timely
release of funds to LEAP beneficiaries
b. Inadequate office space to accommodate the entire Ministry, its
Departments and Secretariats. The Ministry currently operates from
seven (7) different geographical areas
c. Lack of funding to facilitate the restructuring exercise the Ministry has
commissioned
d. Lack of a mandate to effectively coordinate other social intervention
programmes within other MDAs, for which Cabinet approval has now
been received
e. Absence of M&E systems to track impact and performance.
f. Overlapping policies and programmes with other MDAs, requiring
immediate dialogue and harmonization
g. Lack of a Management Information System (MIS) and an Information,
Communications and Technology Unit to enhance effective
communication and data collection and usage
h. Lack of requisite staff at all levels to implement effective and efficient
interventions for the purposes of achieving the objectives of the
Ministry
i. Budgetary allocation not commensurate with the expansion of the
scope of Ministry’s mandate.
OUTLOOKFOR 2014
The Ministry has an allocation of GH¢91,038,708 to implement its
programmes and projects in the 2014 fiscal year. This total budget broadly
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covers gender equality, women’s empowerment, the survival and
development of children as well as social protection interventions for the
poor, vulnerable and excluded in Ghana.
In 2014,our Ministry will continue to implement planned programmes and
projects within its nine (9) key sector policy objectives to achieve outcomes
in line with the National Medium Term Framework.
Management and Administration
This programme area at the Ministry’s headquarters is intended to provide
administrative support, and formulate, coordinate and translate policies and
priorities of the Ministry into strategies. The strategies will ensure efficient
and effective service delivery, coordinate resource mobilization, improve
financial management and provide timely reporting, monitoring and
evaluation (M&E). The programme will also provide efficient human
resource management for the Ministry.
The Ministry will focus on the following operational priorities:
1. Develop and facilitate an implementation plan for the Restructuring
Plan and the Performance Management Framework which aims at
enhancing performance and service delivery at all levels
2. Facilitate the development of the 5-year Strategic Plan for MoGCSP
3. Complete and refurbish the Ministry office complex to address the
acute office accommodation needs of the Ministry
4. Facilitate the implementation of the National Gender Policy
5. Initiate gender dialogues to discuss emerging gender issues such as
assisted reproductive technology; these form the blueprint for policy
formulation
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6. Commission the development of a comprehensive M&E and
Reporting System for the Ministry to enhance coordination,
accountability, performance delivery and effective policy formulation
7. The Ministry will resource its Research, Statistics and Information
Management Directorate (RSIM) to finalize the establishment of a
GMIS/MIS to enhance generation, analysis and accessibility of
relevant data for policy development, programming and decisionmaking.
Gender Equality and Equity
In 2014, the Ministry will focus on mainstreaming gender into sector
programs of MDAs and MMDAs, promoting national commitment to gender
equality and women’s rights and the socio-economic empowerment of
women. A key programme in this area is facilitating the enactment of the
Affirmative Action, Intestate Succession and Property Rights of Spouses
Bills
to
promote
women’s
empowerment
for sustainable
national
development.
Children's Rights Promotion, Protection and Development
In 2014, the Ministry will continue to improve early childhood care and
development through the implementation of the Early Childhood Care
Development (ECCD) Policy. Children’s rights and welfare will be
prioritized through the strict implementation and enforcement of the
Children’s Act and related legislation to protect children against early and
forced marriage, child labour and other practices detrimental to the
wellbeing of children.
The Ministry will also finalise two key policies, namely the Child and Family
Welfare Policy and the Justice for Children Policy, both intended to
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establish a home-grown child protection and child justice system suited to
the needs of the Ghanaian child. Through these policies, the Ministry will
ensure effective documentation and management of information on
children in Ghana.
Social Development
In pursuit of its social development objectives, the Ministry will undertake
programmes to integrate the vulnerable, persons with disabilities, the
excluded and disadvantaged into the mainstream of society. In addition, the
Ministry will assist in the reduction of poverty and enhance the potentials of
the disadvantaged.
The priorities in this area are:
 Finalizing the development of a Social Protection Policy, the
Complementary Services (Social Protection Interventions) Registry
and a National Common Targeting mechanism to enhance
coordination of social protection interventions, with World Bank
support
 With the assistance of the World Bank, a National Targeting Unit is
being developed under our Social Protection Directorate to establish
the Ghana National Household Registry to scientifically target the
poor and ensure adequate coverage of all social protection
interventions
 With DFID support, increasing LEAP beneficiaries to 100,000 this
year and then to 150,000 by mid-2015 and ensuring all payments are
delivered electronically, with the assistance of USAID and UNICEF.
USAID has committed to providing UNICEF with funding for cash
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transfers to at least 4000 pregnant and lactating women, with at least
25% to be provided to young women under 20 years old
 The Adoption Regulations will be finalized, the Central Adoption
Agency established and The Hague Convention acceded
 Memoranda of understanding will be drawn up with key sector
ministries to assist in the coordination of cross-sectoral social
protection interventions
 The Ministry will also intensify its activities in addressing the kayayei
phenomenon, prioritizing registration of the kayayei to assist in
determining interventions that will have the greatest impact on the
lives of women and girls currently engaged in the practice, and to
deter others from becoming involved.
Aged policy and programmes
 Priorities in this area include issuing an ID card to all senior citizens
aged 65 years and above which will enable them access to free,
complementary and subsidized services
 We are also overseeing the building of a community day care centre
for the elderly in Keta. Land has been donated by the Anlo
Traditional Authority and the construction will possibly be funded by
the African Development Bank.
Domestic Violence and Human Trafficking
The overall goal of these programmesare to promote coordination in the
implementation of interventions to prevent and prosecute perpetrators of
domestic violence and human trafficking,and rescue, rehabilitate and
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reintegrate victims of domestic violence and human trafficking into their
families and societies.
Accordingly, the Ministry will be scaling up prevention by pursuing the
following:
 The enactment of the Human Trafficking and Domestic Violence
Regulations
 Implementation of the National Plans of Action for Domestic Violence
and Human Trafficking
 Operationalisation of the Human Trafficking and Domestic Violence
Rapid Response Teams
 Provision of professional psychosocial support for victims of human
trafficking and domestic violence
 Designing the protocols for the Human Trafficking and Domestic
Violence Funds
 Researching gender-based violence with assistance from DFID.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, Honourable Chairperson, the Ministry of Gender, Children
and Social Protection has made some modest but significant gains in spite
of its recent entry into our national governance structure. The
reconceptualization of the Ministry to prioritise social protection is a first in
our country and speaks to our growth into middle income status. This
growth requires that Government sharpens its focus on addressing
inequalities and improving the wellbeing of its citizens, particularly the
vulnerable who often comprise children, women, the elderly and persons
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with disabilities. Under the watch of our Ministry, we will continue to push
forward with our strategic policy objectives to realise a better living
standard for our target groups.
The successes we have chalked up today have been possible as a result of
the strong collaboration we have sustained with our development partners.
Here we would like to acknowledge the support and assistance ofDFID,
World Bank, UNICEF, UNDP, UNFPA, Canada’s Capacity Development
Mechanism and a host of local and international non-governmental
organisations. Your constant support and concern for the development of
our country through the mandate of our Ministry is remarkable.
We also commend the media for not relenting in carrying issues affecting
our target groups but more importantly, in reporting instances of violations
of their fundamental rights and freedoms. These reports spur us to action
and put us on our toes to constantly review our interventions to ensure the
best response in times of need.
We look forward to the ensuing year with confidence and hope to meet
here to inform you once again that we have improved upon our
performance this year.
I thank you all for your attention and support.
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