The government has pledged to develop a more comprehensive response to the challenges facing head porters also known as kayayei with a focus on skills development, protection from exploitation and sustainable livelihoods.

The commitment followed a meeting with a delegation from the Kayayei Association, led by the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Agnes Naa Momo Lartey to the office of the vice president. 

The discussions focused on the experiences of head porters including access to training, opportunities to establish businesses and the welfare of women and children living in vulnerable conditions.

Vice President Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang said the engagement built on earlier consultations that had highlighted concerns about exploitation and the difficulties faced by women who migrate to urban centres in search of work.

Addressing root causes

The Vice President said the kayayei phenomenon must be examined within the wider context of migration, inequality and development.

She indicated that both the conditions that push people to leave their communities and the factors that attract them to cities must be addressed if long-term solutions are to be achieved.

“Skills development remains important, but our interventions must be informed by the aspirations of the women themselves,” HE Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang said.

She added that training programmes should not be based on assumptions about the trades women want to pursue. Instead, training must be linked to the tools, capital and market opportunities needed to turn new skills into sustainable businesses.

Children’s welfare

The welfare of children in kayayei communities was also identified as a major concern. Government said children must remain central to long-term interventions, alongside stronger measures to protect women from exploitation and abuse.

The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection and the Kayayei Association were commended for continuing to engage authorities on the issue.

The government said it would work with relevant institutions to better understand the complex drivers of head-portering and develop a response that creates economic opportunities, strengthens protection and supports the dignity and potential of affected women and children.

By Blessed EDUAMOAH DADZIE