Informal Economy Workers Meet Political Parties in Ghana

Accra, Ghana

Jonathan Torgovnik/Getty Images Reportage

Associations of informal economy met representatives of major Ghanaian political parties, at the Ghana National Association of Teachers Hall, in Accra. The theme of the meeting was “Ensuring Optimal Involvement of the Urban Informal Sector in National Economic Development”.

The action was part of the support that was provided by WIEGO under the Accra Cities Projects. These organizations committed to analyze the provisions in the 2012 manifestos of the major political parties in Ghana to ascertain the policies and programmes for the informal economy which would inform the decisions in the general elections in November 2016.

Apart from WIEGO, other associations and partners participated in the event, such as the Informal Hawkers and Vendors Association of Ghana (IHVAG), Greater Accra Market Association (GAMA), Union of Informal Workers Association of Ghana (UNIWA), Peoples’ Dialogue (PD), Trades Union Congress (TUC) and Institute of Local Government Studies (ILGS). Dorcas Ansah Accra City Coordinator for WIEGO was one of the organizers of the event and represented the network in the meeting.

Jonathan Torgovnik/Getty Images Reportage

The meeting was key for informal workers in Ghana, as the political manifesto is an integral document that contains the vision and public commitments of the political party and drives policies and programmes when they come into power. As parties spelled out their programmes for development this year, it was appropriate and opportune for informal workers to advocate for the inclusion of policies and programmes for the informal economy.

Over 80% of economic activities and the workforce in Ghana are estimated to be in the informal economy, however no clear policies and programme were found in the party manifestos targeting the informal economy particularly the markets vendors. The informal economy association took note of these gaps and wanted to engage political parties around major policies and strategies outlined in the 2016 election manifestos for the informal workers.

Jonathan Torgovnik/Getty Images Reportage

Several Ghanaian media broadcast groups confirmed they would cover the event. It was expected this event would go a long way to contribute to amplifying the voice of the informal economy in the quest to advocating for better policies and working conditions.

Learn more about Focal Cities: Activities and Outcomes in Accra