Accra: The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), has engaged public service providers in the Wa West District to promote social cohesion, which is essential for enhancing peace and stability.
According to Ghana News Agency, the Upper West Regional Coordinating Council facilitated a workshop aimed at empowering local governance institutions to improve service delivery and establish referral pathways. This initiative is part of the UNFPA/UNDP peace-building project titled 'Enhancing social cohesion and social contract through empowerment of women and youth in three northern regions of Ghana,' which was also implemented in the Sissala West District.
The UNFPA and UNDP identified effective service delivery and referral pathways as key tools for promoting peace and resolving conflicts, recognizing that poor public service delivery can lead to tensions within communities. Dr. Kwasi Owusu Poku, the Project Consultant, presented on a public service mapping conducted under the project, highlighting UNFPA's commitment to building the capacity of public service providers to improve service delivery and foster trust, networking, inclusion, and social cohesion in communities.
Dr. Poku explained that the service mapping aimed to identify available health, social justice, and social services that promote social cohesion and social contract, particularly for women and youth. It also sought to understand the challenges faced by service providers in their delivery, identify gaps in quality service delivery, and promote best practices for inclusion and participation of women and youth.
Challenges identified included difficulties in accessing communities due to poor road networks, lack of essential equipment, outmoded cultural practices, and political interference. The mapping revealed strong partnerships among public institutions and public-private partnerships, particularly with Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), but also highlighted a lack of community awareness of available services and human rights, as well as low involvement of women in decision-making.
Dr. Poku recommended ongoing community engagement and sensitization, along with monitoring of public institutions and structures, to ensure inclusiveness, responsiveness, commitment, and accountability in service delivery. Mr. Ishmael Selassie, the Programme Analyst at UNFPA, urged service providers to ensure gender equality in service delivery to prevent tensions.
Pognaa Rosemary Bangzie Mumwilma, the Queen Mother of Duong in the Nadowli-Kaleo District and co-consultant on the project, emphasized empowering women and youth to know and protect their Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR). She stated that promoting SRHR and gender equality is crucial for Ghana to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and highlighted the need for increased quality healthcare for women and youth in underserved communities.
Participants, including health sector workers and security personnel, expressed their gratitude to the UNFPA and its partners for the initiative, noting that it has enlightened and empowered them to ensure quality service delivery in their communities.