Participants at the ongoing 57th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in New York have applauded Ghana for her progressive legislature and social interventions to ensure gender equality. This followed the address by the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Nana Oye Lithur. The Minister outlined the significant strides Ghana has made in her gender equality and women’s empowerment efforts through the enactment of various legislation and formulation of social policies. These include the Domestic Violence, Human Trafficking and Children’s Acts, as well as amendment of the Criminal Offenses Act, as well as the criminalization of harmful customary practices and higher sentence for FGM. She also noted instituted Government measures to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls to include the setting up of the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit of the Ghana Police Service with 97 offices nationwide and the establishment of specialised gender based courts in Accra and Kumasi. Other initiatives include shelters for survivors of domestic violence in Accra, the creation of anti-domestic violence clubs, training of police, healthcare providers and social welfare officers. Nana Oye Lithur noted that these institutional frameworks notwithstanding, Ghanaian women and girls continue to suffer “sexual abuse, physical violence, some harmful traditional practices, child labour and socio-economic violence”; citing the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit of the Ghana Police Service’s 2011 record of 12,906 cases of various forms of violence against women nationwide. Acknowledging the challenges, operational and administrative systems that have hampered the full implementation of measures to address gender inequalities, the Minister noted that government has initiated strategies to surmount them. Some are increased provision of facilities and support for survivors, expansion of the cash transfer programme to include survivors, improved anti-human trafficking machinery as well as scaling up the involvement of men and boys in programmes to curb violence against women and girls. The Minister also mentioned the empowerment of girls, use of data and research as well as improving technical support for the detection and prevention of violence. Nana Oye Lithur leads the Ghanaian delegation comprising Members of Parliament, representatives of Ministries Department and Agencies, Civil Society Organisations and the Media. The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) is an annual international gathering where countries agree on frameworks to address critical issues related to gender equality and women’s rights. This year’s priority theme is “Elimination and Prevention of all forms of violence against Women and Girls”.