Shamima Muslim, Deputy Presidential Spokesperson has reiterated the determination of the Government to engage stakeholders on measures that promote caregiver support services, mental health and psychosocial support, community-based care systems and public awareness on shared caregiving responsibilities

She said: “We also recognise the important role caregivers play within our society and the broader care economy Many caregivers, especially mothers, also carry enormous emotional, physical and financial responsibilities with little institutional support

“As a government committed to inclusion and social justice, we recognise that achieving national development requires leaving no one behind.”

Ms Muslim gave the assurance at an event organised by the Voices of Woman and children with Disabilities in Ghana (VOWAC) to honour mothers with disabilities and caregivers of persons with disabilities

Ms Muslim, a mother of four children. acknowledged that the Government alone could not achieve true inclusion and therefore called on civil society organisations, development partners, traditional leaders, faith-based organisations and the private sector to continue working together to build a Ghana where every woman and every caregiver was respected, empowered and supported.

Ms Christiana Nkrumah, Board Secretary of VOWAC, Ghana said mothers with disabilities and caregivers of children with disabilities continued to play extraordinary roles in nurturing families, sustaining communities, and contributing to national development despite facing persistent barriers such as discrimination, inaccessible healthcare, inadequate social protection systems, stigma, poverty, and limited access to inclusive services and opportunities.

She called on c policymakers, service providers, civil society organisations, development partners, families, and communities to work collectively toward creating an inclusive Ghana where mothers with disabilities and caregivers receive the support, respect, protection, and opportunities they deserve.

Mr Edwin Andoh, Executive Secretary of the National Council on Persons with Disabilities, while paying glowing tribute to mothers with disabilities and caregivers of persons with disabilities, said Mothers’ Day celebrations should go beyond just celebrating mothers to putting in policies and structures that support mothers with disabilities and caregivers of children with disabilities

Professor Augustina Naami, an associate professor in the area disability and social work at the University of Ghana who chaired the event, said mothers of children with disabilities and mothers with disabilities needed the collective support of society for society to thrive

“Mothers of children with disabilities and mothers with disabilities face challenges that limit them in a lot of things even in their parenting; many women in these categories even struggle to work and earn a living,” she said.

About 30 mothers with disabilities and caregivers of persons with disabilities were honoured for defying the odds in motherhood.