By Albert Allotey, GNA
Accra, Oct 2, GNA – The updated Gender Toolkit has been officially introduced in Ghana to strengthen the inclusion of gender equality within the country's sector and district medium-term development plans (2026–2029).
The effort, headed by the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), offers explicit direction and useful resources to make sure that planning procedures are inclusive, sensitive to gender issues, and in line with the country's development goals.
It also acts as an essential tool for encouraging gender-sensitive planning, tackling gender disparities and inequalities by implementing more inclusive planning and financial allocation.
This initiative seeks to lower obstacles that women face in accessing economic assets and public involvement, thus establishing a base for reducing poverty, promoting effective governance, and achieving long-term development.
Dr. Audrey Smoke Amoah, the Director General of NDPC, mentioned during the event, "the Gender Toolkit serves as a conscious and useful guide, a direction-finding tool meant to assist us in meeting our most fundamental national promise of fairness and justice, as stated in Ghana's 1992 Constitution."
This process provides us with renewed motivation to commit to the deliberate enforcement of the Affirmative Action (Gender Equity) Act, 2024 (Act 1121), she added.
Ms. Laetitia Erny, PAIReD Component Manager, stated that the Gender Toolkit marks a significant advancement.
It highlights gender viewpoints more clearly, not as a supplementary element, but as a fundamental component of the planning, financial allocation, tracking, and assessment procedures, she mentioned.
Ms. Erny mentioned that by offering practical tools and straightforward advice, it assists planning and budget officers, along with gender desk officers, in incorporating a more inclusive perspective into their tasks and tackling gender disparities and inequalities within the relevant sectors and regions.
She added that this aligns with Ghana's national development objectives and international obligations, including the Sustainable Development Goals, stating, "this Toolkit functions as both a technical manual and a driver, encouraging us to approach planning for impact, equity, and sustainability in new ways."
The initiative is being carried out in cooperation with the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection, the Ministry of Finance (MoF), and in partnership with the Participation, Accountability, and Integrity for a Resilient Democracy (PAIReD) program.
It was funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), supported financially by the European Union (EU) and the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), and carried out by GIZ, while the Strengthening Investments in Gender-Responsive Climate Adaptation (SIGRA) initiative was backed by Global Affairs Canada and executed by Cowater International.
Officials from different organizations, along with development partners, highlighted the significance of incorporating gender-related matters into mid-term development strategies and financial allocations during the gathering.
The gathering emphasized the shared dedication to making sure that the requirements of women, young people, individuals with disabilities, and other at-risk communities are properly met in development initiatives throughout the nation.
Participants, including Municipal District Assemblies as well as Metropolitan and Municipal District Assemblies, demonstrated their dedication to fostering a more inclusive, adaptable, and effective planning atmosphere in Ghana, with a focus on gender equality.
GNA
Kenneth Odeng Adade
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