The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MoGCSP), in collaboration with the Office of the Head of the Local Government Service (OHLGS), has continued its Community Dialogue Series on Social Protection and other Social Issues with an engagement in Teshie in the Ledzokuku Municipality on Thursday, 10th September 2026.
“Social protection is not simply a government programme; it is a shared national responsibility that requires the active participation of communities,” the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr. Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, stated at the engagement.
She explained that Government considered social protection a critical pillar of national development, particularly in reducing poverty and vulnerability, promoting social inclusion and creating opportunities for people to live dignified and productive lives. She noted that the passage of the Social Protection Act, 2025 (Act 1148) and the Social Protection Regulation, 2026 (L.I. 2521) had further strengthened the framework for coordinating and delivering social protection services in Ghana.
Hon. Dr. Lartey stressed that effective social protection required the involvement of local authorities, traditional leaders, faith-based organisations, civil society groups and citizens, particularly in identifying vulnerable persons and ensuring that those in need were able to access available support. She noted that Government could not design and implement effective interventions without listening to the people they were intended to serve.
The Minister said the Community Dialogue Series was therefore designed to bring Government closer to communities, create space for citizens to share their experiences and concerns, and allow their feedback to inform policy and programme implementation. She added that the Ministry had also partnered with the National Health Insurance Authority to facilitate free registration and renewal for eligible vulnerable and indigent persons during the engagements.
The Minister highlighted the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) Programme and the Ghana School Feeding Programme as some of the key interventions supporting vulnerable households and children. She also drew attention to newer initiatives, including Mahama Care, free tertiary education for persons with disabilities, free primary healthcare and the Free Sanitary Pads initiative, describing them as part of Government’s broader efforts to build a more inclusive and resilient Ghana.
Speaking at the engagement, the Member of Parliament for Ledzokuku Constituency, Benjamin Narteh Ayiku, commended the Ministry for taking the dialogue to the community. He noted that direct engagement with residents provided an opportunity to better understand the challenges affecting them and identify practical ways of addressing their concerns.
He encouraged residents to actively participate in Government programmes, make use of available support and services, and continue to raise concerns with the appropriate authorities.
Officials from the MoGCSP and other stakeholders also engaged participants on key social protection interventions and social issues, including domestic violence, child marriage, teenage pregnancy, human trafficking, child protection, the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) reassessment exercise.
The Teshie community members used the opportunity to ask questions, share their experiences and raise concerns on social protection and other social issues affecting them. The engagement formed part of the Ministry’s broader efforts to bring social protection information closer to communities, strengthen citizen participation and ensure that interventions respond effectively to the needs of vulnerable individuals and households.
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