By: Diana Adjei
The Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr. Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, has engaged residents of Tema Manhean and Bankuman on social protection and other social issues affecting communities.
The engagement, held on Monday, September 7, 2026, formed part of a Community Dialogue Series organised by the Social Protection Directorate of the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, in collaboration with the Office of the Head of the Local Government Service.
Speaking at the engagement, Dr. Agnes Naa Momo Lartey stressed the importance of community participation in the implementation of social protection programmes.
She said government’s social protection interventions remained a critical pillar of national development, and urged communities to actively participate in programmes designed to support vulnerable persons and households.
The Minister also raised concerns about social challenges including drug abuse, child neglect and youth unemployment, and reaffirmed government’s commitment to building an inclusive and resilient society where no one is left behind.
Dr. Lartey further called for stronger collaboration among national and local government institutions, traditional and community leaders and residents to identify and address social challenges.
She encouraged citizens to use the Single Window Citizen Engagement Service, SWECES, through the toll-free numbers 0800-800-800 and 0800-900-900, as well as the Orange Support Line, 0800-111-222, to seek information, report grievances and access support.
The Minister urged community members to speak freely about the challenges confronting them, share their experiences and propose practical solutions to help shape policies and interventions.
The Mayor of the Tema Metropolitan Assembly, Ebi Bright, also underscored the importance of the dialogue and encouraged residents of Tema Manhean and Bankuman to actively participate in government programmes and work closely with local authorities and relevant agencies.
She said community involvement was essential to ensuring that social protection interventions achieved their intended objectives.
Officials from the Ministry and other stakeholders used the engagement to provide information on social protection interventions and issues including domestic violence, child marriage, teenage pregnancy, human trafficking, child protection, the National Health Insurance Scheme and the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty reassessment exercise.
The discussions also focused on the role of communities in identifying vulnerable households and supporting the effective delivery of social services.
The Community Dialogue forms part of the Ministry’s broader efforts to promote an inclusive, responsive and people-centred social protection system through sustained engagement with communities.
The Ministry says feedback gathered from such engagements will help inform policies and interventions aimed at reducing poverty, vulnerability and social exclusion and improving the well-being of individuals, families and households across the country.
