A women’s agriculture entrepreneurship forum recently convened to celebrate the invaluable contributions of women to national development, spotlighting their outstanding achievements in agribusiness, climate resilience, and gender equality.
Organized by the Feed the Future (FtF) Ghana Market Systems and Resilience (MSR) Activity in collaboration with FtF Ghana Policy LINK, FtF Ghana Trade, and Investment (GTI) Activity, Resilience in Northern Ghana Systems Strengthening, and Mobilizing Funds for Agriculture (MFA) Activity, the event aimed to commemorate International Women’s Day under the theme: “Investing in Women: Accelerating Progress towards Gender Equality and Economic Empowerment.”
Over 200 women from diverse districts in the northern region participated in the forum, engaging in panel discussions and presentations that emphasized the imperative of dismantling socio-cultural barriers obstructing women’s socio-economic advancement.
Highlighting the exemplary contributions of women in agribusiness and their advocacy for marginalized rural women, eight outstanding women from the Upper West, Upper East, North East, and Northern Regions were honored with plaques during the event.
Mr. Glenn Lines, Chief of Party for the MSR Activity, underscored the significance of empowering women in agriculture as a pivotal driver for inclusive growth and sustainable development. He elaborated on the MSR Activity’s mission, supported by the United States Agency for International Development, to fortify the market system in northern Ghana, thereby enhancing market access, commercialization, profitability, and institutional capacity.
Hajia Hawa Musah, Northern Regional Director of the Department of Agriculture, acknowledged the pivotal role played by women in Ghana’s agricultural sector. She lamented, however, that despite their significant contributions, women often faced barriers accessing crucial agricultural resources, inputs, and technologies. While acknowledging some strides in addressing these challenges through policy interventions and gender equality guidelines, she emphasized the need for sustained efforts to ensure women fully benefit from agricultural investments.
Hajia Hawa Musah also highlighted the efforts of the Women in Agriculture Development Directorate of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture in bolstering support for women in nutrition, value addition, food safety, and gender mainstreaming across agricultural policies and programs.
