SavSign, MMDAs to Give Vulnerable Groups in Northern Ghana Recognition

It is gradually becoming an established phenomenon in Ghana that, women, youth and particularly persons with disability are constantly being denied the opportunity to have their grievances addressed.

The trend is pathetic especially in the Upper West, Upper East and Northern Regions of Ghana where a greater percentage of people are not well educated or well informed about their basic human rights and how to exercise them.

As a result, a lot of women, youth and Persons with Disability (PWD) are often denied what is due them by private and even state institutions due to their vulnerability. For instance, in recent times there had been worrying reports regarding PWD being denied their share of the District Assembly Common Fund by some Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs). 

Also, a recent survey conducted by RISE-Ghana in the Bolgatanga and Bawku Municipalities disclosed that 95 percent of public buildings were disability unfriendly. This is in serious contravention to Sections 6 and 7 of the PWD Act which calls on owners of public buildings to make their premises disability-friendly.

Even more disgusting are reports of disabled pregnant women in the Bolgatanga Municipality being forced by health officials to deliver through surgery even though it is sometimes obvious that such women can deliver without any difficulty.

In response to the aforementioned challenges and many other issues confronting women, youth and disabled groups in the Tamale Metropolis, Savelugu, Yendi and Wa Municipalities, Savana Signatures (SavSign) has launched a new governance project intended to give them a voice.

The project, dubbed “The Mobile for Social Inclusive Governance: All Voices Matter, Speak Up” also seeks to influence government policy and planning to increase the participation of women, youth and disabled people in local governance.

It will further help MMDAs address barriers such as distance, access, mobility, cultural norms, social status and political affiliation which impede the access of women, youth and PWD to engage with MMDAs.

The intended results, according to Abdul-Rashid Imoro, Project Officer –SavSign, is for women, youth and PWD to use a new communication pathway to contribute to MMDAs development planning processes for the allocation of public goods and services.

He told Savannahnews in an interview that, four major milestones have been identified by the project to achieve its results. These include: increased clarity on the current participation of women, youth and PWD in MMDAs planning; and awareness created about social inclusion in developmental decision making.

The other milestones, Mr. Imoro noted, include data on the opinions of marginalized groups generated and analysed by MMDAs for development planning as well as opinions of marginalized groups captured in development decisions of MMDAs.

All four MMDAs and marginalized groups benefiting from the project also have been trained in the use of a technology called VOTO; a platform to register all women, you and PWD in the respective districts in order for them to take part in surveys to be conducted by the MMDAs. The technology enables one to send his/her grievances via a call me back system and have his/her concerns captured so as to enable MMDAs incorporate those concerns or grievances into their development plan.

Meanwhile, by the end of the project, MMDAs will be proficient in using this technology and would have conducted two to three surveys in three quarters, for a total of six to nine surveys with the target groups. The project is being supported by Amplify Governance, VOTO and the Ghana Information Network for Knowledge Sharing with sponsorship from STAR-Ghana.