Women's rights group hands Gender Ministry petition on free speech and women's bank

Pinned summary · as of 07:24

A women's advocacy movement took a petition to the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection in Accra, pressing for action on freedom of expression, women's rights and unfinished promises to women. Gender Minister Dr Agnes Naa Momo Lartey received it and told the group its concerns had been heard.

What we know

• The movement, called Women's Voices Matter in one report and Women's Voice Matter in another, delivered the petition to the Gender Ministry during a demonstration by women and advocates.
• The petition touched on freedom of expression, how quickly women's rights are protected, enforcement of the Affirmative Action Act and the long-awaited Women's Development Bank.
• Dr Lartey said the committee and secretariat the Affirmative Action law calls for have been set up.
• According to the minister, the Women's Development Bank sits with the Office of the Vice President, working with the Ministry and other stakeholders, and the government is still committed to creating it.
• Dr Lartey said she would keep talking with stakeholders so that the issues women raise get proper attention. She also said her team would study the petition.

What's disputed / unconfirmed

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  The Vaultz News reported that demonstrators highlighted the detention of Salomey Awiti Baffoe, who works as a senior nursing officer and comes from Techiman. She has been refused bail. She is charged with abetment of crime in connection with the "Ghana Jollof" TikTok account, over the alleged publication of false news. Police allege she acted as a liaison for the account's suspected operator, helped spread videos and took part in financial transactions. She denies the charge and the case against her has not been proven. This account comes from one report only.
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  The Vaultz News said Dr Lartey rejected claims that the Ministry has been politicised, saying most heads of its departments and secretariats are career civil servants with a limited number of political appointees. She also pointed to money pledged in successive budgets as proof of the bank plan. These remarks appear in a single report.
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  MyJoyOnline reported that the minister treated the protest as the group using its democratic rights and restated the Ministry's commitment to women, children and persons with disabilities. It named Akosua Manu as the group's representative. Neither detail appears in the other report.

Why it matters for Ghana

Women across Ghana have waited for the Women's Development Bank, which is meant to widen access to finance, and for the Affirmative Action law to translate into real representation. The minister's answer shows who is currently responsible for the bank, but no timeline was reported. The petition also puts the question of free expression and the treatment of people accused over online posts before a ministry that handles women's welfare.