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July 21, 2026
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West African women leaders declare violence against women a legislative emergency, demand urgent action
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Policy
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Key Points
- The Accra Declaration, issued by female parliamentarians and leaders across West Africa, calls for violence against women and girls (VAWG) to be treated as a legislative emergency.
- The declaration commits to sweeping legislative and policy reforms, emphasizing survivor-centred legislation and stronger parliamentary oversight to combat VAWG.
- It highlights weak implementation of existing laws due to inadequate enforcement, insufficient funding, deeply entrenched social norms, and political harassment of women.
- Participants advocate for increased budgetary allocations for survivor support services, sustainable national financing, and active engagement of men and boys in challenging harmful gender norms.
- Key regional proposals include establishing a Ministerial Summit on VAWG, a West African Female Parliamentarian Solidarity Movement, and an ECOWAS Supplementary Protocol to harmonize legal protections.
Why This Matters
As a host nation and endorser of the Accra Declaration, Ghana is directly committed to fast-tracking survivor-centred legislation, operationalizing support funds, and institutionalizing gender-responsive budgeting. This initiative will significantly influence Ghana's legislative agenda, resource allocation for social services, and its overall strategy for combating gender-based violence and promoting gender equality.
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Bawumia engages chartered economists on data-driven path to jobs, digital growth
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- ICEG leadership welcomed the collaboration, highlighting their mandate for evidence-based policy and seeking parliamentary establishment for the Institute.
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Economist calls for re-engineering of e-levy
- Economist Rev. Dr. Samuel Worlanyo Mensah advocates for the re-engineering and reintroduction of the e-Levy as a funding source for Ghana's development programs.
- He argues that global economic uncertainties and high public expectations necessitate sustainable, homegrown revenue mobilization strategies, including digital economy taxation.
- The e-Levy was initially introduced in May 2022 by the NPP government but was repealed in April 2025 by the NDC government under President Mahama, fulfilling a campaign promise.
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September 4, 2026
Ghana cannot afford complacency over extremist threats – Agalga
- Majority Leader James Agalga warns Ghana against a false sense of security despite regional extremism.
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- 47 cross-border incursions and over 300 arrests for extremist recruitment were recorded along the northern border between 2023-2025.
- Agalga emphasized the need for stronger border protection, intelligence gathering, and inter-agency coordination.
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