Ghana: Ghana has received the African Union Champion on Gender and Development's 2026-2028 Work Plan to guide action on gender equality across Africa.
According to Ghana News Agency, the plan outlines priorities for advocacy, policy coordination, resource mobilisation, partnerships, monitoring, and accountability during the Champion's tenure. Ms Prudence Nonkululeko Ngwenya, Director of the African Union Commission's Women, Gender and Youth Directorate (WGYD), presented the document at the close of a three-day Strategy Co-Creation and Validation Workshop in Accra.
Ms Ngwenya emphasized that participants had been deliberate in defining an innovative and impactful role for the Champion, especially in light of Ghana's upcoming leadership of the African Union. She stated that gender equality remained central to AU Agenda 2063, economic growth, and social development, with the Champion expected to mobilise political support and advocate for gender equality and women's empowerment at the highest level.
Dr Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, who received the work plan on behalf of President John Dramani Mahama, mentioned that the document was not an end result but a roadmap for action. She noted that the document's value would ultimately be measured by its translation into concrete interventions, strengthened policies, mobilised resources, and measurable improvements in the lives of women and girls across Africa.
Dr Lartey reaffirmed Ghana's commitment to supporting the AU Champion and cited recent measures such as the Affirmative Action (Gender Equity) Act, 2024 (Act 1121), the National Gender Policy (2025-2034), and Parliament's approval of the African Union Convention on Ending Violence Against Women and Girls to advance gender equality.
The workshop examined the Champion's comparative advantage, vision and theory of change, strategic priorities, Presidential initiatives, implementation and partnerships, investment, monitoring, and accountability. The validated work plan is expected to provide a framework for coordinated action between Ghana and the African Union Commission on gender equality and development.