Vice President Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang has held discussions with the Kayayei Association on the challenges facing head porters in Ghana and measures needed to improve their livelihoods and social welfare.
The delegation was led by the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, as part of ongoing efforts to find sustainable solutions to the challenges confronting kayayei and their families.
The engagement focused on key issues including the exploitation of head porters, skills development, job opportunities, access to business support, financial empowerment, and the welfare of women and children.
Vice President Opoku-Agyemang said the kayayei situation must be addressed within the wider context of migration, poverty, inequality and national development. She noted that economic hardship and limited opportunities in some communities continue to push people to migrate to major cities in search of better livelihoods.
She stressed the need for government interventions to address the underlying social and economic conditions that make vulnerable migrants susceptible to exploitation after arriving in urban areas.
According to the Vice President, skills training for kayayei remains an important part of the solution, but such programmes must reflect the aspirations and interests of the women themselves.
She cautioned against imposing vocational training programmes without first understanding the professions and businesses the beneficiaries want to pursue. Instead, skills development programmes should be connected to start-up capital, equipment, business opportunities and other resources that can help beneficiaries establish sustainable livelihoods.
Vice President Opoku-Agyemang also expressed concern about the conditions of children living within kayayei communities, emphasizing that child welfare and protection must remain a major priority in government interventions.
She called for stronger measures to protect women and children from exploitation, abuse and other social vulnerabilities, while promoting access to economic opportunities and social protection services.
The Vice President commended the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection and the Kayayei Association for their continued engagement on the issue.
She assured stakeholders that government will continue working with relevant institutions to develop a comprehensive and sustainable response to the kayayei challenge.
The broader strategy, she said, should focus on creating decent economic opportunities, strengthening social protection, improving skills development and protecting vulnerable women and children so that every individual can achieve a more secure and productive future.
Source: newsthemegh.com