The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MoGCSP), in collaboration with the Office of the Head of the Local Government Service (OHLGS), has taken its Community Dialogue Series on Social Protection and other social issues to Teshie in the Ledzokuku Municipality.

The engagement, held on Thursday, September 10, provided residents with an opportunity to discuss social protection challenges, access information on government interventions and raise concerns affecting vulnerable individuals and households.

The Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, said social protection remained a shared responsibility requiring active participation from communities.

“Social protection is not simply a government programme; it is a shared national responsibility that requires the active participation of communities,”

Dr Lartey said government regarded social protection as a critical pillar of national development, particularly in reducing poverty and vulnerability, promoting social inclusion and enabling citizens to live dignified and productive lives.

She pointed to the passage of the Social Protection Act, 2025 (Act 1148) and the Social Protection Regulation, 2026 (L.I. 2521) as important steps towards strengthening the coordination and delivery of social protection services in Ghana.

The Minister stressed that effective social protection required collaboration among local authorities, traditional leaders, faith-based organisations, civil society groups and citizens. Communities, she noted, had an important role in identifying vulnerable persons and helping ensure that those in need could access available support.

She said the Community Dialogue Series was designed to bring government closer to citizens, provide a platform for communities to share their experiences and concerns, and ensure that public feedback informed policy and programme implementation.

As part of the engagements, the Ministry has also partnered with the National Health Insurance Authority to facilitate free registration and renewal for eligible vulnerable and indigent persons.

Dr Lartey highlighted programmes including the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) and the Ghana School Feeding Programme, alongside newer initiatives such as Mahama Care, free tertiary education for persons with disabilities, free primary healthcare and the Free Sanitary Pads initiative.

According to the Minister, the initiatives form part of broader efforts to create a more inclusive and resilient Ghana by extending support and opportunities to vulnerable sections of society.

The Member of Parliament for the Ledzokuku Constituency, Mr. Benjamin Narteh Ayiku, commended the Ministry for taking the dialogue directly to the community.

He said engaging residents at the grassroots level provided government with a better understanding of the challenges they faced and created opportunities to identify practical solutions.

Mr. Ayiku urged residents to participate actively in government programmes, take advantage of available services and continue to channel their concerns to the appropriate authorities.

Officials from the MoGCSP and other stakeholders also sensitised participants on a range of social protection and social issues, including domestic violence, child marriage, teenage pregnancy, human trafficking, child protection, the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and the LEAP reassessment exercise.

Residents used the forum to ask questions, share personal experiences and raise concerns about social protection and other issues affecting the community.