Forum to dialogue on gender and aid effectiveness

Pg11. Sat. May 3/08

By Rebecca Quaicoe Duho

FROM May 5 to 6, 2008, stakeholders on gender will meet at a national consultation forum to deliberate on making aid responsive to gender.
The forum will also provide an opportunity for the stakeholders to dialogue on gender and aid effectiveness, reinforce networking and communication between gender advocates, government actors, donors and multilateral development agencies.
The forum is being organised within the framework of the European Commission (EC)/United Nations (UN) partnership on “Gender Equality for Development and Peace”, to build the basis for partnerships and agreements to strengthen gender equality in national development plans and budgets processes.
It will be attended by participants from the ministries, including Finance,Women and Children’s Affairs, governmental partners, Members of Parliament, civil society groups, academic institutions involved in research on gender and aid effectiveness and on development planning, delegations and representatives from the EC and UN, as well as bilateral and multilateral organisations and donors involved in gender issues.
The stakeholders will also use the forum to decide on a national work plan and set up the relevant institutional mechanisms, including a project steering committee to ensure that the work plan will be realised within the time frame and budget of the programme.
They will also brainstorm on the key message from the findings of a mapping study that was initiated earlier to look into the status of women and gender equality in Ghana, aid to Ghana, aid modalities, alignment, ownership, harmonisation, managing for results and mutual accountability.
Stakeholders at the forum will also be expected to learn more about the upcoming international forum on Aid Effectiveness which will take place in September this year in the country and identify possible contributions that can be made to benefit Ghana.