Gender Ministry to advance gender equality agenda across Africa

The Chief Director for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr Marian W. A. Kpakpah, has called for stronger collaboration, effective coordination and strategic partnerships to advance the gender equality agenda across Africa.

She said such partnerships were needed to ensure that Ghana’s role as the African Union (AU) Champion on Gender and Development contributes to tangible progress in gender equality and development across the continent.

Dr Kpakpah made this call in a statement delivered on behalf of the sector minister at a three-day Strategy Co-Creation and Validation Workshop in Accra.

The workshop, which opened on Monday, is being held to develop a comprehensive strategy for the AU Champion on Gender and Development for the 2026 to 2028 period.

She said the strategy should translate the mandate into concrete actions and results that would contribute to gender equality and development across Africa.

The Director for Women, Gender and Youth at the African Union Commission, Ms Prudence Nonkululeko Ngwenya, also called for a focused and coherent strategic framework to guide the Champion’s work.

The engagement brings together representatives from the African Union Commission, the Office of the President, the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other key stakeholders.

The workshop builds on bilateral consultations and virtual preparatory meetings between the AU Commission’s Women, Gender and Youth Directorate, the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection and other national stakeholders.

The consultations provided inputs on thematic pillars, priority outcomes and key deliverables for the development of a comprehensive workplan for the Champion.

Participants on the first day discussed the Champion’s comparative advantage, including a shared vision, value proposition and theory of change to guide the work.

The remaining sessions will focus on strategic priorities and shifts, Presidential initiatives, implementation, partnerships and strategic investment, as well as measuring progress and accountability.

The three-day engagement is expected to produce a practical and actionable strategic framework to guide the AU Champion’s efforts to advance gender equality and development across Africa from 2026 to 2028.