The Ghana anti-corruption coalition, in partnership with SEND-Ghana and OXFAM have trained some journalists, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) on the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal (10), which focuses on inequality.
The two-day workshop was to bring to light the various inequalities that exist in the country and how to effectively tackle them.
It was also to help build and equip the capacity of patrons to adequately report on the major facts of SDG 10 and its effects in a professional manner.
Inequality has been a major problem, particularly in the developing countries and considering the huge effect it has on the economic and social development of a country the UN included this goal to enable countries facing such problems to mitigate it effectively.
Inequality widens the gap between the rich and the poor, constricts poverty reduction and destroys people’s sense of fulfillment and self-worth, which breeds crime, poverty, sickness, lack of education and challenges with healthcare.
A representative from OXFAM West Africa, Kwesi Obeng, took patrons through a session on the types of inequality, and measuring inequality using the GINI rations index and Palma ration.
Board chairman of the Daily Graphic ProfessorKwamee Karikari, who also took patrons through ways of working with inequality data using advocacy, campaigns and influencing, tasked journalist to highlight and prioritise stories concerning inequality to get policymakers to direct resources and efforts to deal with the issues.
“In order for the government or society generally to be able to have a good picture of what goes on in society, in order to design policy and programmes to bring about improvement in the lives of citizens, the media must do their work well by bringing out the critical issues that concern citizens. There are many manifestations of inequality, in the social sector and social relationships in society, in the economic relations, political relations, including issues of power relations. Every sector of the society suffers, making children deprived of public services and goods which might improve their lives. It also deprives women of their welfare, their rights and some communities deprived public services due them.
“These are issues that the media must project, carefully, truthfully and with the passion of seeking reforms in these issues of inequalities. The media must expose them with the view of educating decision-makers and policy makers and communities about them so they can take certain measures and initiatives on their own to improve people’s lives.”
Facilitators of the training included the Board chairman of the Daily Graphic, Professor Kwame Karikari; Abdul-Kudus Husein from the Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition; Kwesi Obeng of Oxfam West Africa; Zakaria Suleman of Oxfam Ghana; and Justice Baidoo from UNICEF.
At the end of the workshop, views sampled from patrons indicated that their knowledge and understanding of inequality and ways to approach and tackle was deepened, and the training came at the right time due to the challenges faced by the country as a result of inequality.
The training took place at the beautiful Volta Serene Hotel at Ho in the Volta region of Ghana, and was funded by UNICEF.
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By: Ann-Shirley Ziwu/citinewsroom.com/Ghana