In a concerted effort to curb Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and harmful traditional practices such as child marriage, the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs (MLGCRA), in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), has initiated a strategic engagement with Traditional Council Registrars in the Northern sector of the country.

The engagement, under the theme “Strengthening the Capacity of Traditional Councils on Gender-Based Violence and Harmful Practices Including Child Marriage Using the National Framework for Engaging Traditional Authorities”, saw registrars from the Upper West, Upper East, Northern, Savannah, North East, and Bono East Regions coming together to share ideas, while receiving training on the issues.

In a speech read on behalf on the Chief Director of MLGCRA, Mr. Amin Abdul -Rahaman, by the Head of Religious Affairs Unit, Mr. Richard Obeng Boafo, it came to light that  data from the 2021 Population and Housing Census indicated that child marriage remains alarmingly prevalent in several northern districts, with over 120,000 children aged 12 to 17 years reported to be married or cohabiting.

 This social issue, he noted, can be classified as a form of sexual and gender-based violence, as it violates fundamental human rights and robs young girls of education, health, and economic opportunities. He observed that it was for this reason that the Ministry has been partnering with the UNFPA to organise a series of capacity building workshop to aid the frontline officers handle such issues that come before the chiefs and the Council smoothly.

The Chief Director reaffirmed the Ministry's commitment to supporting traditional and religious institutions in their roles as custodians of cultural values and agents of community transformation. He, was of the view that, traditional and religious leaders are vital allies in addressing GBV and harmful practices noting that their influence at the grassroots is indispensable.

In 2024, under a UNFPA-supported work plan, 120 Traditional Council Registrars were trained using a specialised toolkit, and engagements were held with the National House of Chiefs and over 60 religious leaders. These efforts strengthened seven communities to make declarations to end child marriage, with the Paramount Chiefs championing it.

Mr. Amin-Rahman underscored the critical role of the media, community actors, and religious institutions in sustaining the momentum Stating that there must be a cautious effort to reduce these harmful practices to save lives.

Speaking on behalf of the UNFPA Country Representative, Dr. Winfred Ochan, a Regional Representative at UNFPA , Jude Demosie said the UNFPA is very keen on safeguarding the lives of people by identifying and supporting the vulnerable in societies. He said it was for this main goal that they would want to reduce Gender-Based Violence and it's harmful practices in African countries with Ghana being one of them.

Regional Gender Officers Charity Batuure and Bushira Alhassan emphasized the importance of traditional authorities in reversing these harmful trends. They noted that it is very essential to communicate effectively where necessary and also report any suspicious issues to their regional offices. They were of the view that child marriages were destroying the dreams of the young girls today and needed to be reduced to its barest minimum.

The GBV and its harmful practices training, held on Thursday, 17th July, 2025 in Tamale, aims to deepen understanding of GBV among council registrars, address unconscious bias, and operationalize the national framework for engaging traditional leaders on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) as well as family planning.

Source : Chantal Aidoo

Public Relations Unit, MLGCRA

A cross-sector technical meeting has been convened in Accra to take stock of Ghana’s progress in delivering on its climate action commitments under the second Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC 2.0). These commitments reflect Ghana’s pledge, as part of the global Paris Agreement, to combat climate change through both emission reduction (mitigation) and improved resilience to climate impacts (adaptation).

Organised by the Environmental Health and Sanitation Directorate of the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs (MLGCRA), the session brought together key technical officers and representatives from various sectors, including waste management, water, health, infrastructure, and local governance. Their task was to evaluate what has been achieved since the country submitted its NDC 2.0 and to help shape the direction for the next round of climate actions.

Discussions centered on how well-planned interventions have been rolled out, particularly in vulnerable sectors. Special emphasis was placed on environmental health and sanitation areas directly linked to both the causes and effects of climate change. Stakeholders identified a need to ramp up community-level actions such as sustainable waste disposal, climate-informed planning, and public awareness campaigns that address health and environmental risks simultaneously.

The meeting also highlighted the broader co-benefits of climate action, including job creation, protection of public health, and building more resilient cities. Participants stressed that for progress to be sustained, strong collaboration between local and central government institutions is essential, especially in aligning policy priorities and implementing practical solutions at the grassroots level.

Equally, the importance of robust data systems, financing frameworks, and institutional coordination was underscored as critical enablers for tracking progress and scaling impact.

Findings from the session will feed into Ghana’s national climate reporting and support the development of its next NDC, helping to ensure transparency, policy coherence, and continued momentum toward a climate-smart future.

This technical review is part of Ghana’s ongoing commitment to global climate accountability and national development that leaves no one behind.

Source: Stephanie Edem Klutsey

 (Public Relations Unit MLGCRA)

Elate Crystal Hotel, Bolgatanga – 17 June 2025

The Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs (MLGCRA), in collaboration with UNICEF and the Ghana Productive Safety Net Project Phase II (GPSNP2), has successfully concluded a three-day Training of Trainers (ToT) workshop in Bolgatanga. The training, held under the flagship Livelihood Empowerment and Productive Inclusion Programme (LEPIP), aimed to build the capacity of local actors to implement a skills development programme targeting out-of-school adolescent girls.

The workshop brought together stakeholders from Regional and Municipal Assemblies, including officers from the Departments of Social Welfare, Community Development, Education, Youth, and Enterprise. It marked a key milestone in the national rollout of LEPIP’s skills training component and underscored the Ministry’s commitment to addressing social and economic exclusion among Ghana’s most vulnerable youth.

LEPIP is a transformative government initiative spearheaded by MLGCRA through GPSNP2, with technical and financial support from UNICEF. The programme targets out-of-school adolescent girls between the ages of 16 and 21, equipping them with life skills, vocational and entrepreneurship training, and start-up capital. It also offers complementary support in areas such as nutrition, mentorship, and innovation, with the goal of building socio-economic resilience and breaking the cycle of poverty for participants.

Currently, the programme is being piloted in the Kassena-Nankana and East Mamprusi Municipal Assemblies. Based on early results and stakeholder engagement, MLGCRA plans to scale up the initiative to ten additional Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs). This planned expansion aligns closely with national social protection frameworks, including the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) programme under the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MoGCSP), the Complementary Livelihood and Asset Support Scheme (CLASS), and the Integrated Social Services (ISS) Delivery Framework coordinated by MLGCRA.

Over the course of the training, participants received in-depth instruction in areas such as life skills development, vocational pathways, small business management, and mentorship. The training also introduced participants to digital monitoring tools that will be used to track attendance, implementation progress, and programme outcomes in real time—ensuring a data-driven and accountable approach to delivery.

Speaking at the opening session, the Ministry’s representative highlighted the significance of the programme in restoring dignity and creating opportunity for young girls often excluded from formal development efforts. “LEPIP represents a shared vision of promoting dignity, opportunity, and hope for young people who have often been left behind,” the representative stated.

Ms. Christiana Gbedemah, Social Protection Specialist at UNICEF Ghana, commended the Ministry for its leadership and its prioritization of inclusive, cross-sectoral collaboration. She reaffirmed UNICEF’s commitment to supporting marginalized adolescent girls and expressed confidence in LEPIP’s potential to create lasting change in the lives of its beneficiaries.

The Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs is confident that the workshop has equipped regional and municipal stakeholders with the tools and knowledge needed to implement LEPIP effectively. It is expected that the training will lead to more coordinated and impactful service delivery at the community level, helping to realize the national vision of a more inclusive and equitable Ghana—where every girl has the opportunity to thrive.