By Doreen Ampofo
A delegation of journalists from the Journalists in Social Protection (JISOP) have paid a courtesy call to key agencies and stakeholders in the social protection sector.
The visit was to enhance reporting on social protection issues in Ghana, strengthen relationships, and foster collaboration. The journalists met with officials from the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, School Feeding Programme, LEAP Secretariate, World Health Organization, World Food Programme, UNFPA, World Bank and DW Academy.
During the meetings, discussions centered on the importance of social protection in promoting human rights, reducing poverty, and inequality. The Director of Social Protection at the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection Abena Asabea Asare said as part of measures to improve livelihoods for the vulnerable, there are ongoing discussions to further double amounts for LEAP payments from the current Ghc90 per month to Ghc180.
Also, the Ministry will be assessing the programme to identify persons who need to be taken off and those who should be supported more to ensure efficiency in the implementation.
The World Bank and DW Academy pledged to support the journalists with training and capacity building to sharpen their skills and increase their knowledge on important social protection issues.
The journalists expressed their commitment to accurate and informed reporting on social protection issues, while the other agencies and stakeholders pledged their support and availability to provide information and resources.
Leader of the JISOP team Justice Baidoo, emphasized the need for a collaborative approach to addressing social protection challenges, saying, “We recognize the crucial role that social protection plays in promoting the well-being of Ghanaians, and we are committed to using our platform to amplify the voices of the most vulnerable.”
The courtesy call marks the beginning of a partnership between JISOP and key stakeholders in the social protection sector, aimed at promoting greater awareness, understanding, and advocacy for social protection issues in Ghana.
The group made up of about fifty journalists across the country was borne out of the Right Based Approach,RBA campaign implemented by UNICEF.
The RBA Campaign is a social protection advocacy strategy developed by UNICEF Ghana in 2019 with the goal of increasing the number of Ghanaians covered by and able to access a right based national social protection system.
