Social Accountability or Social Responsibility? Where Do You Stand?
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Over the past few weeks, together with my colleagues from WACSI, we have engaged in interesting conversations with civil society organisations (CSOs) in Ghana on how social accountability plays out in practice.
During one of these visits, my colleague Melissa Juisi, Programme Assistant at the Capacity Development unit, WACSI, made a remark that struck me: “What I am hearing from you now is that social accountability is important, but it will be good to also educate your community members on social responsibility.”
That simple distinction lit my mind and eyes. I’ve known and discussed the concept of social accountability in small circles, but I never knew there was a term that captures it so beautifully: social responsibility.
From a young age, many of us were taught that government and its agencies are responsible for key aspects of our lives, such as security, law and order, education, healthcare, roads, markets, town planning and so on. In Ghana, if you regularly listen to the radio, follow TV morning shows, or enjoy watching YouTube videos of Kwadwo Sheldon, a Ghanaian YouTuber, take on Ghana’s socio-political issues, you probably know and expect duty bearers to deliver these services. That, in essence, is social accountability—holding leaders responsible for the roles they are mandated to play.
But what about the flip side? Social responsibility?
This is where we, as citizens, come in. Just as you have the right to demand accountability, you also have a duty to act responsibly. Let me provide/share some examples:
If you demand that your Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) or District Chief Executive (DCE) build gutters and they do, then you and your neighbours must ensure those gutters are regularly desilted.
If your member of parliament (MP) or Assembly provides a 20-room Kumasi Ventilated Improved Pit (KVIP) – a type of latrine designed to improve sanitation in developing regions, and a system commonly utilised in rural and peri-urban areas of Ghana, specifically to enhance hygienic practices and minimise odour in waste disposal – it is the community’s responsibility to use it respectfully and maintain it well.
If a school is built in your community and your ward goes there, you must teach your child not to vandalise desks or write “I was here some” or make any inscriptions on walls that will deface the school property.
Social responsibility means pointing that finger you raise at the government back at yourself. Were you being responsible the last time you tossed a pure water sachet on the street? Or when you left the tap running or kept the lights on unnecessarily? We demand clean roads yet often contribute to the filth lining the streets.
To be clear, I am not saying we should stop demanding social accountability. Far from it. In fact, we need to demand it even more, especially from our local and municipal leaders. Those services are your rights and they ought to be demanded, protected and promoted. I’ve seen firsthand, through the visits to CSOs, the transformation that can happen when citizens come together and directly hold district assemblies to account.
But rights go hand in hand with responsibilities. Pick up that broom. Hold on to that plastic until you find a bin. Teach your children to respect public property. Attend town hall meetings. Read political manifestos before you vote. These are simple acts of responsibility that strengthen the very accountability we demand.
One day, when your children ask how your generation allowed things to get this bad, excuses won’t be enough. Don’t disappoint them. Don’t disappoint yourself.
Social accountability and social responsibility are inseparable; one without the other leaves our progress incomplete. It’s easy to point fingers at leaders, but harder to point them back at ourselves. Real change begins when we do both. So, I ask you: Where do you stand?
About the author
Deborah Nana Ama Abbey
Deborah Nana Ama Abbey is a development practitioner with expertise in communication, youth empowerment, advocacy and human rights. With a diverse professional background, she has contributed her skills to various national and international organisations. Community engagement lies at the heart of Deborah’s values, as evidenced by her initiative “Every Kid Deserves Christmas,” which brings joy to hundreds of children from underprivileged backgrounds every year. Currently, she serves as a communications assistant, where she plays a pivotal role in driving positive change and development at the West Africa Civil Society Institute.
