NCCE ENGAGES NADOWLI-KALEO WOMEN ON ANTI-CORRUPTION UNDER GIZ-IMPLEMENTED PROGRAMME SUPPORTED BY BMZ, EU AND SECO

The Nadowli-Kaleo District Directorate of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has intensified efforts to empower women to combat corruption, demand accountability and promote the rule of law in the Upper West Region.

The engagement, held at the Nadowli Area Council Hall, brought together 56 participants, comprising 52 women and four men, to assess progress made following an earlier sensitisation programme and identify challenges affecting citizens' participation in anti-corruption efforts.

Addressing participants, the NCCE District Director, Mr. Emmanuel Der Tambile, explained that the follow-up engagement sought to strengthen participants' capacity to identify, resist and report corrupt practices while encouraging transparency in public service delivery.

He emphasised the importance of translating civic knowledge into practical action and encouraged participants to share experiences of applying lessons from previous engagements.

During the interactive discussions, participants reported improved awareness of corruption and the appropriate institutions for reporting suspected wrongdoing. Some indicated that increased resistance to nepotism and favouritism had contributed to a reduction in such practices at local health facilities.

They consequently called for fairness and transparency in public service delivery, urging public institutions to establish clear procedures and apply rules consistently to all citizens.

Despite these reported improvements, participants identified fear of victimisation, possible retaliation, limited knowledge of reporting procedures, and social pressure as major obstacles preventing women from reporting corruption.

The facilitators stressed the need for sustained civic education to address these challenges and strengthen women's confidence to demand accountability.

The engagement was jointly facilitated by Mr. Tambile and the Principal Civic Education Officer, Mr. Dominic Bawakyillenuoh.

The activity formed part of the Participation, Accountability and Integrity for Resilient Democracy (PAIReD) programme, commissioned by Germany's Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), co-financed by the European Union (EU) and the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), and implemented by GIZ in cooperation with Ghana's Ministry of Finance through the NCCE.

Participants were encouraged to take individual and collective action against corruption and monitor progress towards promoting integrity and accountability in their communities.