Action Aid Ghana calls for strong media partnership to achieving SDGs

Action Aid Ghana (AAG), a Non-Governmental Organization, has called for a strong media partnership in the implementation of its Strategic Priority (SP) programmes to hachieve specific targets of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.

According to Mr Malik Gbene, the Quality and Knowledge Management Manager, AAG, the country had not done much, saying the AAG therefore, required active media partnership to advance its Green Economy and Resilient Livelihoods (SP1), Women’s Rights and Decent Work (SP2) and Active Citizenship, Accountability and Gender Responsive Public Services (SP3).

He said the implementation of the AAG’s SP1 played a key role to position the nation to achieve SDGs 2 and 12 of zero hunger and responsible consumption and production by 2030 respectively.

The SP2 and SP3 will leverage the nation to attain SDGs 5 and 8 of gender equality and decent work and economic growth, respectively too.

Mr Gbene made the call when he spoke virtually, at a media liaison meeting, organised by the AAG at Odomase in the Sunyani West Municipality, and attended by some editors and media practitioners selected from the Bono and Bono East Regions.

The 2-hour meeting was aimed at introducing and sharing the AAG’s SP areas and to seek the support of the participants towards their implementation.

Mr Gbene emphasised the integral role of the media towards achieving the UN global goals, saying the AAG recognised the media as a key partner in the implementation of its programmes that sought to benefit the people and local communities.

Highlighting some achievements, he said over the period of 2018 and 2022, the AAG’s programmes had directly benefited and impacted a total of 2,007,077 people nationwide with gender aggregation of 70 percent females and 30 percent males.

In specific to age aggregation, he said the programmes had directly impacted 56 percent adults of 36 years and above, 35 percent youth of 18 and 35 years as well as nine percent children below 18 years.

“Juxtapose against Ghana’s population of 30.8 million people, AAG directly impacted 7 percent of the country’s population, which translates into around 8,028,308 household members”, Mr Gbene stated.

Mr Gbene said the implementation of Green Economy and resilient Livelihoods strategy had strengthened coalition building through the Smallholder Women Farmers Movement (SHWFM) and Women in Agriculture Platforms (WAPs) comprising over 17,000 members, influencing gender responsive agriculture policies and programmes.

He said the Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) crop option was expanded to include cowpea and groundnuts in 2018, while the organic fertilizer options added to PFJ inputs in 2019.

Women access and control over land and other productive resources significantly improved by 54 percent, while 1,120 Female Extension Volunteers (FEVs) were trained, deployed and provided climate resilient sustainable agricultural extension services to women farmers.

Mr Gbene said more than 15,000 smallholder farmers were reached by FEVs as of 2022, indicating that 96 percent of them expressed satisfaction and acknowledged its contribution to the adoption of sustainable production and improved harvesting and storage practices.

He said the resilient and alternative livelihood opportunities were provided to 5,384 women, youth and persons with disabilities, adding 82 percent were now earning decent incomes ranging from GH¢1,000 to GH¢5,000.

Women and young entrepreneurs were also linked to the Ghana Enterprises Agency (GEA) and Department of Cooperative, with the AAG facilitating the development of business plans, registration of businesses, product certification and market linkages.

Additionally, Mr Gbene said through its project interventions women unpaid care and domestic work burden reduced by 39 percent from an average of 70 minutes in 2017 to 43 minutes in 2020.

Mr Kwame Afram Denyira, the AAG’s Programmes Manager for Bono, Bono East and Ahafo Regions said the NGO had also constructed 54 Child Care Centres and several model Kindergartens (KGs) spread across the country to provide safe childcare environments pre-school kids.

He said AAG’s advocacy on Ghana Education Service (GES) retention and re-entry policy for pregnant and lactating girls contributed to over 500 girls retaining their rights to education and further added the implementation of Complementary Basic Education (CBE) led to enrolment of over 20,511 out-of-school girls and boys across the country.

Addressing “period poverty” as an economic justice issue, Mrs Jacqueline Parditey, an AAG’s Communication’s Officer said through the NGO over 3,000 girls also gained access to disposal and reusable sanitary pads.

She said the NGO cherished its long existing relationship with the media, and expressed the hope that the cordiality would be deepened as the AAG partnered the government to alleviate the plight of the people.

Source: GNA

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