Executive Director of Savannah Women Integrated Development Agency (SWIDA), Hajia Alima Sagito-Saeed says her outfit out to ensure that women and young girls, as well as youth, PWDs, minority groups, are empowered to help contribute to the growth and development of the country. She added that the concept of “nothing for us without us”, is slowering the governance and inclusive processes between the policy Implementers and citizens, especially the marginalized and minority groups.
Hajia Allima said this during a stakeholder engagement on “Empowering the Excluded for increased participation in election and governance processes in Northern and Savannah regions of Ghana”, in Damongo, Savannah region, on Wednesday February 19, 2025 at the community center.
With funding support from Star Ghana Foundation and Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office, under the Inclusive Election and Accountable Governance Project, SWIDA Ghana is undertaking Empowering the Excluded for participation in election and governance processes, the project is a platform for stakeholders to get involved in the governance processes through dialogue, and come up with challenges and strategies affecting them. This will allow them to feel part of the governance processes for development.
Inputs from various groups were received and presented to the policy Implementers so that the issues are incorporated into planned actions for the growth and development of the country.
Policy Implementers were invited to listen and address issues raised by the various groups.
Hajia Allima said ” the intervention is to empower women, girls, youth, minority groups, among others, to have a feel of the governance processes. This program is to ensure young people, women, Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), Fulbe community, and all the minority groups contribute to the governance processes and also have the feel of the processes”.
A forum is created after coalition of all these groups to engage the policy Implementers both at the regional and district levels so that their concerns are captured, she added.
Hajia Allima also revealed that the next step is to hold a larger community forum so that communities will engage policy Implementers towards a bright future. This is because everyone matters, and so they want to do away with the “concept of nothing for us without us”, to broaden the scope.
Stakeholders/duty bearers present included the Municipal Assembly, NCCE, Agriculture department, Ghana Education Service, Social Welfare department, Gender Desk, Queen Mothers’, PWDs, women groups, youth groups, Fulbe community, Hon Assembly Members, among others.
Some participants who spoke to Radio PAD, Damongo community radio, expressed gratitude to SWIDA Ghana for providing such a huge platform to engage policy Implementers and said it has given them the excitement of being part of the governance processes.
Abdulai Zulkaninu / 0242381890
