Ghana has reaffirmed its commitment to building resilient and inclusive social protection systems, with a strong focus on women’s economic empowerment and sustainable poverty reduction, at a high-level continental knowledge exchange event held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.According to a post shared on Facebook, the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, led a Ghanaian delegation to participate in the Knowledge Exchange and Closing Event for Ethiopia’s Productive Safety Net Programme Phase Five (PSNP 5), a flagship social protection initiative widely recognised across Africa for its role in supporting vulnerable populations.The event brought together ministers, policymakers, development partners, civil society organisations, private sector representatives and social protection experts from across the continent to assess the achievements of PSNP 5 and exchange lessons on strengthening social protection systems capable of delivering long-term economic transformation.A key focus of the discussions was how social protection programmes can evolve from providing short-term assistance to creating sustainable pathways out of poverty through employment, entrepreneurship and economic inclusion.Speaking during a panel discussion on the theme, “Out of Poverty into Jobs: Advancing Women’s Economic Empowerment in Social Protection Programmes,” Dr Lartey stressed that social protection should not be viewed merely as a welfare expenditure but rather as a strategic investment in human capital development and national economic growth.According to the Minister, well-designed social protection interventions can help vulnerable individuals and households transition from dependency to self-reliance by providing opportunities for productive employment and income generation.Drawing on Ghana’s experience, the Minister highlighted the significant role played by the Ghana National Household Registry (GNHR) in enhancing the targeting of beneficiaries under the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) Programme.She explained that the use of registry data, combined with community validation and community-based targeting approaches, has improved transparency and credibility in beneficiary selection while reducing both inclusion and exclusion errors.The strengthened targeting mechanisms, she noted, have helped ensure that social protection resources reach those who need them most, thereby improving the effectiveness of government interventions.The Minister furtheremphasised the importance of coordination among institutions responsible for delivering social protection services.She cited the ongoing collaboration between the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection and the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development, which has enhanced coordination and implementation at the district level.Dr Lartey also highlighted successful cooperation with the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), which has enabled households enrolled under the LEAP Programme to gain free access to the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) through data-sharing arrangements.The initiative, she said, has significantly improved healthcare access for some of Ghana’s most vulnerable citizens.The Minister disclosed that following the recent reassessment of LEAP beneficiaries, the Ministry engaged the Bank of Ghana to facilitate the temporary onboarding of eligible beneficiaries who have not yet obtained Ghana Cards.According to her, the intervention became necessary because possession of a Ghana Card is now a national requirement for accessing financial services.She explained that the arrangement is intended to prevent vulnerable households from being excluded from critical social protection programmes while efforts continue to register them under the national identification system.The move reflects the government’s commitment to ensuring that administrative barriers do not prevent deserving beneficiaries from accessing support.A major theme of the event was the advancement of women’s economic empowerment through social protection programmes.Dr Lartey described financial inclusion as a transformative tool capable of moving policy interventions beyond gender sensitivity towards genuine gender transformation.She noted that Ghana is increasingly integrating complementary services into its social protection programmes, including productive inclusion initiatives that support women in establishing and expanding income-generating ventures such as petty trading, agribusiness activities and other micro-enterprises.These interventions, she said, are helping women build sustainable livelihoods and achieve greater economic independence.However, the Minister cautioned that economic interventions alone are insufficient to achieve lasting transformation.She stressed the need to confront harmful social norms, discriminatory practices and cultural barriers that continue to limit women’s participation in economic activities across many communities.The Minister used the platform to showcase several significant milestones achieved by Ghana in recent years within the social protection sector.Among the achievements highlighted were the strengthening of the Ghana National Household Registry, reforms aimed at expanding and improving the LEAP Programme, and the passage of Ghana’s Social Protection legislation.According to Dr Lartey, the legislation provides a stronger legal and policy framework for the implementation, coordination and sustainability of social protection interventions across the country.She argued that these reforms demonstrate Ghana’s commitment to establishing an integrated social protection system capable of responding effectively to poverty, vulnerability and social exclusion.Responding to a question from a participant from The Gambia regarding challenges associated with securing unique identification for women, the Minister acknowledged that Ghana’s experience had not been without obstacles.Nonetheless, she said the country had made considerable progress through strong collaboration among government institutions, development partners and other stakeholders.She emphasised that effective partnerships remain essential for expanding access to identification systems and social protection services.Dr Lartey called for greater collaboration among African countries, increased investment in graduation-focused social protection programmes and continued sharing of innovations and best practices to accelerate poverty reduction efforts across the continent.