The Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection (MOGCSP) successfully conducted its 5th Social Protection Dialogue Series from 12th to 13th of December 2023 in Accra.
The event centered around the theme, “Enhancing the Well-being of Vulnerable Ghanaians through Effective Social Protection Systems.”
The primary objective of the dialogue was to foster engagement among stakeholders and experts, facilitating open discussions on critical social protection-related issues.
The National Social Protection (NSP) Dialogue Series provided a valuable platform for addressing emerging challenges affecting vulnerable groups in Ghana.
Over the two days, the dialogue featured technical paper presentations, expert panel discussions, plenary sessions, open forums, and the launch of key products designed to streamline social protection services.
In a keynote address delivered on behalf of Hon. Lariba Zuweira Abudu, the sector minister for the Ministry for MoGCSP, Hon. Francisca Oteng-Mensah, the sector Deputy Minister, emphasized that social protection is more than just interventions. It represents a collective promise to uplift vulnerable and marginalized individuals, reflecting Ghana’s commitment to ensuring that no one is left behind in national growth and socio-economic development.
The Deputy Minister also revealed the Ministry’s successful digitalization of all social protection systems, including the Ghana National Household Registry, LEAP Payment System, and Case Management system through the Single Window Citizen Engagement Service (SWCES). The toll-free numbers 0800 800 800 and 0800 900 900 have been established to enhance service delivery, ensuring efficiency and effectiveness.
Timothy Dolan, the team leader of the Macro-economic and Trade Section of the Delegation of the European Union in Ghana, expressed the EU’s ongoing commitment to collaborate with global and Ghanaian partners in the areas of social protection and food security.
Ms. Barbara Tulu Clemens, the Representative and Country Director of the World Food Programme, highlighted the significant progress made in systems strengthening through capacity building with the Ghana School Feeding Programme, LEAP, Ghana National Household Registry, and the School of Social Work.
She emphasized the linkages between crisis response and social protection.
The event featured in-depth panel discussions on three sub-themes: Scaling up Reassessment of the LEAP Programme, Leveraging Social Protection Systems to Enhance Food and Nutrition Security in Ghana, and Social Protection as Shared Responsibility: Strengthening the role of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and Media.
A noteworthy aspect of the two-day dialogue was the launch of the Social Protection Monitoring and Evaluation Management Information System (SP MEMIS), an electronic platform aimed at monitoring and evaluating social protection interventions.
Additionally, the second phase implementation plan for the National Social Protection Policy was unveiled, providing guidance for the design, programming, and delivery of social protection interventions in Ghana for the next phase.
World Bank Ghana UNICEF Ghana Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
