The Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, held a high-level engagement with the leadership of the Queen Mothers Association drawn from all 16 regions, aimed at strengthening collaboration on gender equality and community development.

The delegation, led by its President, Nana Otubea II, outlined the formation and mandate of the Association, explaining that it brings together gazetted queen mothers nationwide to promote inclusivity, community development, and participation in national decision-making.

The group reaffirmed its commitment to supporting government initiatives at the community level and highlighted its advocacy role in the passage of the Affirmative Action Act. They also commended the Minister for her leadership while calling for deeper inclusion of queen mothers in governance structures.

Responding, Dr Lartey expressed appreciation for the visit and underscored the importance of traditional authorities in driving sustainable development.

She noted that meaningful national progress requires active collaboration with key stakeholders, particularly queen mothers, whose influence at the grassroots level remains critical.

The Minister reiterated the government’s commitment to inclusive development, stressing that “no one is left behind” in the national agenda.

On policy implementation, she disclosed that the Affirmative Action Act, passed in 2024 and launched in 2025, is currently being rolled out, with a dedicated Secretariat established to oversee its implementation.

She added that the Ministry continues to advance social protection through programmes such as the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) and the Ghana School Feeding Programme.

As part of the engagement, the Minister presented copies of the Affirmative Action Act, the Social Protection Act, and documents on the LEAP reassessment onboarding process to the Association to support their advocacy and outreach work.

Dr Lartey further highlighted the critical role queen mothers play in addressing pressing social issues, including teenage pregnancy, child welfare, caregiving, and community sensitisation.

She also urged them to encourage more women to contest in the upcoming District Assembly elections, noting that increased female participation is essential to achieving gender parity in local governance.

The meeting reinforced the importance of collaboration between government and traditional leaders in advancing gender equality and social development at the grassroots level.