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Many of today’s challenges did not begin today. They are shaped by colonial legacies, urban-biased infrastructure, and fragmented policy systems. In many ways, the past continues to shape present realities.

Across countries in Africa and the Global South, women continue to:

1. Carry the burden of unpaid care work.
2. Face barriers in accessing reproductive health services.

These are not accidental, they are structural. It will take reformed structures to implement equity.

Today is a reminder that behind every economy are people, workers navigating formal and informal spaces, care responsibilities, and everyday uncertainties.

At GETSPA, we believe that building fair societies requires more than jobs, it requires social policies that protect, empower, and recognise all forms of work, including those often unseen.

What does decent work mean in your context?

Health systems are often treated as neutral. But in reality, they are not. They are shaped by history, power, and policy choices which determine who benefits and who is left behind.

How do historical health systems shape today’s inequalities?

At our recent GETSPA webinar, we examined how health policy trajectories across Africa continue to influence gendered outcomes and what transformation requires.

How have historical health policies shaped today’s gendered outcomesand what does a transformative future look like?

Join GETSPA for a timely conversation on:
“From Colonial Curatives to Transformative Universalism: Health Policy Trajectories and Gendered Outcomes in GETSPA Countries.”

Speaker: Dr. Michael Gameli Dziwornu
Moderator: Dr. Getachew Shambel Endris

Date: 09 April 2026
Time: 14:00 GMT

This session will unpack how past and present policy choices influence health equity and what it takes to move toward inclusive, gender-equitable health systems across Africa.

🔗 Register here: https://shorturl.at/FxFvt

Or scan the QR code on the flyer

Tag a colleague who should be part of this conversation!

What social policy change would most improve the lives of women in Africa today?

As we mark another year of independence for Ghana, it’s an important moment to reflect on the kind of society we are building. Beyond political freedom, how can social policies advance equity, inclusion, and shared prosperity for all Ghanaians and all Africans?

At GETSPA, we remain committed to promoting transformative and gender-equitable social policies that strengthen social justice and development across Africa.

What does independence mean to you?
Share your thoughts with us in the comments.

Across decades of research and policy debate, we have accumulated substantial evidence on what works: progressive taxation, universal social protection, strengthened labour systems, investment in care, and accountable public institutions.

Yet inequality persists. Fiscal space remains constrained. Social systems are under pressure. Vulnerable groups continue to bear disproportionate costs.

Transformative social policy requires more than innovation. It requires structural alignment between commitments, budgets, and institutional reform.

What, in your view, is the most significant barrier to advancing equitable and sustainable social policy today?