Aspiring National Vice Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Dr. Edem Segbefia, has praised the gender, children and social protection reforms being implemented under the administration of President John Dramani Mahama, describing them as significant interventions aimed at improving the lives of women, children, persons with disabilities (PWDs), the elderly and other vulnerable groups across Ghana.
Speaking during an interactive engagement with party grassroots representatives in the Northern and Savannah Regions, Dr. Segbefia said the Mahama administration had placed people-centred governance at the heart of its agenda under the guiding principle of “People First – No One Left Behind.”
According to him, prior to January 2025, many women faced economic hardship, children were vulnerable to abuse and school dropouts, persons with disabilities lacked adequate support, and poor households had limited social protection.
“Dignity and inclusion were missing, and President Mahama is fixing what was broken. When a child is in school, a woman has capital, a person with disability has dignity, and a poor family has the support needed to survive, that family will remember who stood with them. That is how compassion becomes political strength and long-term national development,” he said.
Dr. Segbefia highlighted what he described as key achievements of the administration within the Gender, Children and Social Protection sector. He said outstanding Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) payment arrears had been cleared for beneficiary households, while additional vulnerable households, particularly female-headed homes, families with persons with disabilities and households with young children, were being enrolled.
He further stated that market women, shea processors, female farmers and artisans were benefiting from access to low-interest financing, skills training and market opportunities through programmes coordinated by the Gender Ministry and the Ghana Enterprises Agency.
On the protection of women and children, Dr. Segbefia said Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) offices, shelters and counselling centres were receiving additional resources to strengthen responses to cases of domestic violence and abuse.
He also pointed to improvements in child protection, including strengthened school feeding and capitation grant programmes, enhanced support for social welfare officers, intensified efforts against child trafficking and exploitative child labour, and initiatives encouraging girls who had dropped out of school to return to the classroom.
Addressing support for persons with disabilities, Dr. Segbefia said government was improving monitoring of the statutory allocation of the District Assemblies Common Fund for PWDs, while expanding access to assistive devices, vocational training, apprenticeships and livelihood support.
He also applauded ongoing efforts to improve coordination among major social protection programmes through better data sharing between LEAP, the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), the School Feeding Programme and disability support initiatives to ensure vulnerable citizens are not left behind.
According to Dr. Segbefia, effective social protection delivers benefits that extend beyond individual households.
“When support reaches a grandmother through LEAP, when a market woman receives capital to expand her business, or when a person with disability is empowered to become economically independent, entire families and communities benefit,” he said.
He argued that such interventions strengthen confidence in government because they directly improve people’s daily lives.
Turning to party organisation, Dr. Segbefia urged NDC branch executives and grassroots activists to actively communicate government programmes in every community.
He encouraged party members to educate citizens on LEAP, school feeding, capitation grants, programmes supporting survivors of gender-based violence, and initiatives promoting girls’ education and women’s economic empowerment.
He also called for stronger organisation among beneficiaries of social intervention programmes, encouraging market women, persons with disabilities and LEAP beneficiaries to form local associations capable of accessing additional opportunities and participating more actively in community development.
Dr. Segbefia further appealed to grassroots members to monitor the implementation of government programmes, promote transparency in the disbursement of social protection funds, and promptly report challenges to local authorities for redress.
He stressed that sustained engagement with communities would strengthen public awareness of government initiatives while ensuring that deserving beneficiaries receive available support.
Concluding his address, Dr. Segbefia urged party faithful to continue engaging communities with what he described as the NDC’s commitment to inclusive governance.
“Go into every community, every market, every church, every mosque and every household and tell the story of what government is doing for women, children, persons with disabilities and vulnerable families. Let the people know that the NDC cares, the NDC protects and the NDC is working to improve lives,” he said.
Story: Patrick Asford Boadu
