The government of Ghana in late March started the implementation of its Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) scheme nationwide. The programme which is aimed at providing financial assistance to the 18.2 percent (880,000) persons considered to be extremely poor under the Ghana Living Standard Survey (GLSS) conducted in 2005 and 2006 is expected to benefit 8,350 individuals from 1,654 households in 21 selected districts in the country. Beneficiaries under the scheme will receive between GH¢ 8 ($ 8) and GH¢ 16 ($16) per month depending on the household. Most beneficiaries of this assistance are old women above 60 years, orphans and physically challenged persons. Currently, beneficiaries of this scheme receive their monies through the post office. However, it will be of a great service to the beneficiaries if an account is open for them at any bank closer to them for the monies to be transferred into it in order to instill saving attitudes in them.

In New York today, GCAP members are focusing on the theme of this year’s CSW, “Financing for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment,” calling for increased financing for gender equality and women’s empowerment as well as support for an improved gender equality architecture of the UN.

GCAP’s Feminist Task Force (FTF), which was founded three years ago at these same meetings of the CSW, will present the progress made alongside the findings of International Women’s Tribunals on Poverty, which were held in India and Peru in 2007.

Ana Agostino, GCAP Co-Chair and spokesperson for the Feminist Task Force said: “Poverty cannot be eradicated without equality and justice for women. Current international policies rob women of livelihoods, healthcare and other economic rights, while feeding fundamentalist backlash and militarism that deprive women of personal autonomy and choices. Our demands are fundamental to breaking through this paradigm, they are not cosmetic, they need dedicated funding and integration into all existing policy decisions.”

No matter where you come from, grandma cooks best, cares best, and above all, knows best. Why shouldn’t her wisdom be put to use in maternal and child nutrition, health and development projects?

While many of these projects focus on younger groups, The Grandmother Project empowers grandmothers, increasing the success of maternal and child health projects in Senegal, Mali and Laos. Now the FAO also acknowledged the power of grannies.