Savelugu representative Hajia Fatahiya Abdul Aziz condemned the 2026 Budget during parliamentary discussion, asserting it abandons Ghana's most economically disadvantaged populations through inadequate welfare funding amid worsening financial strain. The legislator highlighted that social protection programs receive just 3.46 billion cedis, barely 0.22 percent of GDP, while the Gender Ministry gets only 1.1 percent of total government spending, with capital expenditure at merely 11.6 million cedis.
Abdul Aziz criticized severe reductions to protective mechanisms, noting the Domestic Violence Fund and Child Trafficking Fund each received one million cedis compared to 2.7 million and 2.1 million cedis respectively two years earlier. She challenged the absence of specific allocations for initiatives like the Sanitary Pad program and Women in Trade, warning that unpriced commitments prevent oversight and accountability.
The parliamentarian also faulted major economic policies for lacking gender-focused targeting, particularly affecting rural women farmers requiring climate adaptation resources and financial access in constituencies like hers.
Abdul Aziz criticized severe reductions to protective mechanisms, noting the Domestic Violence Fund and Child Trafficking Fund each received one million cedis compared to 2.7 million and 2.1 million cedis respectively two years earlier. She challenged the absence of specific allocations for initiatives like the Sanitary Pad program and Women in Trade, warning that unpriced commitments prevent oversight and accountability.
The parliamentarian also faulted major economic policies for lacking gender-focused targeting, particularly affecting rural women farmers requiring climate adaptation resources and financial access in constituencies like hers.
