View source for Ministry of Women and Children's Affairs

{{about|the ministry in Ghana|the ministry in Sri Lanka|Ministry of Women & Child Affairs and Social Security}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2019}}
{{Infobox government agency
| agency_name     = Ministry of Women and Children's Affairs
| nativename      = Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection
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| logo            = Coat of arms of Ghana.svg
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| formed          = 2001
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| jurisdiction    = [[Ghana|Republic of Ghana]]
| headquarters    = [[Accra]], Ghana
| employees       =
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| minister1_name  = Cynthia Morrison
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The '''Ministry of Women and Children's Affairs (MWCA)''' or '''Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MGCSP)''' of [[Ghana]] is the government ministry responsible for the formulation of policies that promote the [[Institutionalisation|institutionalization]] and development of women and [[Children's rights|children issues]].<ref name=WOM/>
==History==
The ministry was created in 2001 by the [[John Kufuor]] administration to address [[Women's rights|women]] and children issues.<ref name="WOM">{{cite web |title=Ministry of Women & Children's Affairs |url=http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/republic/ministry.profile.php?ID=41 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111011124655/http://ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/republic/ministry.profile.php?ID=41 |archive-date=11 October 2011 |accessdate=31 May 2011 |publisher=GhanaWeb.}}</ref>
==Minister of the MWCA and MGCSP==
The head of the ministry is the Minister of Women and Children's Affairs and Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection. The first head of the ministry when it was created in 2001 was [[Gladys Asmah]] and first head of the ministry when it was renamed MGCSP in February 2013 is [[Nana Oye Lithur]].<ref name="MWCA">{{cite web |title=Ministry of Women And Children's Affairs |url=http://www.ghana.gov.gh/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=333:ministry-of-women-a-childrens-affairs&catid=74:ministries&Itemid=224 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101216062159/http://ghana.gov.gh/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=333:ministry-of-women-a-childrens-affairs&catid=74:ministries&Itemid=224 |archive-date=16 December 2010 |accessdate=31 May 2011 |publisher=Government Of Ghana}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year !! Minister
|-
| 2001–2005 || [[Gladys Asmah]]
|-
| 2005–2009 ||[[Alima Mahama]]
|-
| 2009–2010 || [[Akua Sena Dansua]] (MP)
|-
| 2010–2012  || [[Juliana Azumah-Mensah]] (MP)
|-
| 2013–2017 || [[Nana Oye Lithur]]
|-
| 2017 -2018 ||[[Otiko Afisa Djaba]]
|-
|2018–2020
|[[Cynthia Mamle Morrison|Cynthia Morrison]] (MP)
|}
==Aims and objectives of the ministry==
The ministry has among its objectives the formulation of gender and children policies and guidelines, propose programmes that promote women and children affairs and the development of institutions that encourage women empowerment.
==Advocacy==
The ministry's role makes it advocate for better treatment for women and children. Issues of concern that come to the fore are handled by the ministry. One of such issues was the 2011 when the ministry announced it would in collaboration with the [[Ghana Department of Social Welfare]] undertake a re-registration of [[orphanages]] in the country. This was due to media publications of poor management of certain [[Orphanage]]s in the country. The publications reported that the orphanages were being used as transit points for [[child trafficking]] and had become places of abuse for inmates.<ref name="ABU">{{cite web |title=Women and Children's Affairs Ministry to descend on fake orphanages |url=http://news1.ghananation.com/headlines/89715-women-and-children%E2%80%99s-affairs-ministry-to-descend-on-fake-orphanages.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110209085146/http://news1.ghananation.com/headlines/89715-women-and-children%E2%80%99s-affairs-ministry-to-descend-on-fake-orphanages.html |archive-date=9 February 2011 |accessdate=31 May 2011 |publisher=Ghana Nation News}}</ref>
==Awards==
The ministry in 2011 celebrated [[International Women's Day]] in [[Accra]]. During the celebration, the maiden Ghana Women of Excellence Awards was held at the [[Accra International Conference Centre]]. The awards day was themed ‘Empowering the Ghanaian Woman for National Development’. 34 Ghanaian women were honoured at the ceremony for their contribution to national development.<ref name="UCC">{{cite web |title=Vice-Chancellor Honoured |url=http://www.ucc.edu.gh/aboutus/success_stories/vice-chancellor-honoured |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723175337/http://www.ucc.edu.gh/aboutus/success_stories/vice-chancellor-honoured |archivedate=23 July 2011 |accessdate=31 May 2011 |publisher=University Of Cape Coast}}</ref>
==Achievements==
The ministry from 2001 has worked on several issues of concern to both women and children. They include:<ref name=MWCA/>
*Abolishing the [[trafficking of children]]
*Increasing [[Women in government|the number of women in major government sectors]]
*Educating women about [[domestic violence]]
*Improvement in [[domestic violence]] legislation
== See also ==
* [[Women in Ghana]]
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{Ministries and Agencies in Ghana}}
{{authority control}}
[[Category:Women in Ghana]]
[[Category:Government ministries of Ghana]]
[[Category:2001 establishments in Ghana]]
[[Category:Ministries established in 2001]]
[[Category:Women's ministries]]
[[Category:Children, young people and families ministries]]
[[Category:Women's rights in Ghana]]