Tamale: Hajia Alima Sagito-Saeed, the Executive Director of the Savannah Women Integrated Development Agency (SWIDA-Ghana), has urged the implementation of policies that safeguard marginalised groups to promote inclusive national development. She emphasized that such measures would enhance national cohesion and ensure that the interests and voices of marginalised and underrepresented communities are considered in policy formulation and implementation.
According to Ghana News Agency, Hajia Sagito-Saeed made this appeal during a community advocacy session at Kalariga in the Tamale Metropolis. The event was part of SWIDA-Ghana's ongoing efforts to promote social inclusion and gather public support for the needs of marginalised communities in the Northern Region. The goal is to amplify the voices of excluded social groups, including women, youth, persons with disabilities, and Fulbe communities, to enhance their active participation in governance.
The advocacy session, supported by STAR Ghana Foundation and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, attracted over 200 participants, including youth groups, women, girls, and persons with disabilities. It aimed to raise awareness of the challenges confronting excluded social groups and to advocate for policies and practices that promote social inclusion and equal opportunities.
Hajia Sagito-Saeed encouraged active community participation in policymaking to ensure that their voices are adequately represented on national issues. Mr. Amankona Ampofo, Director of the Northern Regional Secretariat of the National Youth Authority, reaffirmed the Authority's commitment to the holistic development of young people in the country, emphasizing the need for stakeholders to invest in the well-being of the youth.
Alhaji Aliyu Mohammed, Northern Regional Director of the National Commission for Civic Education, highlighted the importance of patriotism and encouraged participants to actively engage in Ghana's development initiatives. Mr. Alhassan Issahak, the Assembly Member for the Kalariga Electoral Area, commended SWIDA-Ghana and its partners for engaging residents, noting that the meeting had helped rekindle the spirit of patriotism among them.
