The Director-General of the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), Dr Audrey Smock Amoah, has emphasised the need for inclusive planning as a means of advancing gender equity and strengthening participation in service delivery and infrastructure development.
Delivering the keynote address at the 2025 Annual General Meeting and Conference of the Local Government Service Association of Physical Planners (LoGSAPP) at KNUST on 12 September, Dr Audrey Smock Amoah stated that gender equity must be seen as a pathway to equality and not merely a symbolic gesture of setting aside budgets for women and girls. It is about ensuring that the varied needs of both females and males are considered in planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation and reporting.
She highlighted Ghana’s progress in expanding infrastructure and service delivery but noted that inequalities in access persist among regions and districts, particularly in rural and peri-urban communities.
According to her, the government’s decision to increase resources to local levels under the Resetting-Ghana Agenda places greater responsibility on planners to ensure that no one is left behind.
She emphasised that frameworks such as the Medium-Term National Development Policy Framework (2026–2029), the Affirmative Action (Gender Equity) Act, 2024, and gender-responsive budgeting guidelines provide opportunities to embed inclusiveness across all levels of planning.
Dr Smock Amoah further underscored the role of planners in shaping safe and equitable spaces, stressing the importance of ensuring access to education, safety, and participation in governance for women, children and persons with disabilities.
She urged planners to listen closely to all voices and to integrate gender dimensions in their work as mandated by law. “This is not optional,” she cautioned, adding that reporting must go beyond numbers to reflect genuine participation.
Proposing stronger collaboration between NDPC and LoGSAPP, the Director-General called for more efficient planning and delivery to improve urban governance.
She charged all planners that this is their moment to rise to the challenge: “This is our time and season. Let us work better today for the sake of tomorrow.”
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