Ghana has started bilateral talks with the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) to re-open its Accra office.

The UN Women office in Accra had provided technical support to Ghana through the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Protection, the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), Institute of Local Government Studies (ILGS), Ministry of Finance of Economic Planning (MoFEP) and the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS).

It also provided support to Civil Society Organisations, and the media on gender responsive issues, but recently closed down its Accra office.

Nana Oye Lithur, Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection told the Ghana News Agency in an interview at New York after a closed meeting with the Executive Director of the UN Women, Dr. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka who is also UN Under-Secretary-General.

UN Women in the past had been active at four critical levels – operations, research and analysis, advocacy, and operational programs and monitoring – in order to achieve outcomes in its priority areas.

“Our meeting seeks to strengthen and open new doors for Ghana and UN Women to collaborate for the achievement of Agenda 2030 as well as share President John Dramani Mahama’s new mandate for gender empowerment in Ghana.

“Ghana has signed and ratified international and regional treatises and frameworks aimed at increasing the role of women in national development,” she said.

Nana Oye Lithur also informed UN Women about the expanded mandate of the Gender Ministry, the ministry’s major priority which is to strengthen legal policies framework of gender equality, the affirmative action bill, property of spouses bill, and reviewing the interstates success law, which has been in existences since 1985.

The Gender Minister said the discussion also focused on Ghana’s Gender Policy, Human Trafficking Bill, domestic violence regulations bill which will be submitted to parliament.

“UN Women has set 2030 as the expiry date for gender inequality. Achieving this will require unprecedented political leadership, dedicated and vastly increased resources, and new partnerships across the whole of society,” Dr. Mlambo-Ngcuka stated.

She expressed concern that fragile gains towards gender equality continue to be threatened by rising extremism and specifically directed backlash against women’s rights in many contexts.

Dr Mlambo-Ngcuka noted that deep-seated discriminatory norms, stereotypes and violence remain pervasive, evidencing gender-based discrimination that continues to be deeply entrenched in the minds of individuals, institutions and societies.

She noted that creating a world with greater equality for generations to come is the defining and most urgent challenge of this century.

She commended the Minister for leading Ghana’s delegation to participate in the on-going UN Commission on the Status of Women at the UN Headquarters, which is expected to end on March 20.