By Rafiq Nungor ADAM
Stephen Yakubu, Upper West Regional Minister, has underscored the pivotal role of women and youth in fostering societal transformation and strengthening regional stability.
In his welcome address at the training session on Gender and Youth-Responsive Safeguarding Procedures held in Wa, Yakubu described women and youth as “not only the backbone of our communities but also critical agents of change”.
The training session, organised by the Upper West Regional Coordinating Council in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), represents a significant step in equipping security agencies with tools and knowledge necessary to protect the most vulnerable segments of society, particularly women and youth.
According to Yakubu, the importance of this training cannot be overstated, given the unique challenges facing the region. “The Upper West Region faces significant development challenges that have weakened the social fabric of our communities.
“These challenges include poverty, economic marginalisation and inadequate social services,” Yakubu explained, stressing the need for a proactive approach to counter these issues.
Yakubu highlighted that the region’s vulnerability to emerging security threats, such as violent extremism, necessitates such proactive measures. “Although this threat is currently less prevalent here compared to other regions, it is nevertheless a growing concern that we must address proactively,” he remarked.
He further noted that empowering women and youth is central to the region’s strategy of enhancing social cohesion and strengtheninf the social contract that binds society together. “By investing in their empowerment, we are not only enhancing social cohesion but also building a more resilient and inclusive society,” Yakubu reiterated.
The training is part of a broader two-year project funded by the Peace-building Fund and implemented by UNFPA in collaboration with ProNet North, a key Civil Society Organisation partner.
The project targets six communities across the Wa West and Sissala West districts, aiming to prevent and address the root causes of localised and spill-over conflicts.
The initiative focuses on creating strategic partnerships with security and social justice institutions within local governance structures to enhance security measures – particularly for women and youth, who are often the most vulnerable in times of conflict.
A similar initiative held last week, when a two-day workshop was organised to integrate human rights-based approaches into local-level planning in the Upper West Region. That workshop brought together participants from the Regional Planning Coordinating Units, Regional Coordinating Council, District Planning Coordinating Units and various civil society organizations, and was aimed at promoting inclusivity in development planning.
Selina Owusu, National Programme Gender Analyst-UNFPA, noted that cultural norms often prevent women and youth from participating in such planning processes, underscoring the need for targetted interventions like these workshops to address such barriers.
Dr. Esther Ofei-Aboagye, facilitator of the workshop, emphasised the challenges of translating the 1992 Constitution’s call for inclusivity into practice. “While the Constitution spells out the need for inclusivity in developmental planning, translating this into practice remains a challenge,” she stated.
