GEA holds annual leadership conference in Accra
The Ghana Employers’ Association (GEA) has held its second Annual Leadership Conference in Accra, with 83 participants graduating from the Female Future Programme (FFP).
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The President of the association, Dan Acheampong, called for the involvement of women in boardroom positions.
Citing the 2021 Population and Housing Census and the seventh round of the Ghana Living Standards Survey reports, Mr Acheampong said most formal sector women were found in services and sales roles in their organisations, while the core management, professional and technical roles were dominated by men.
“This means that the parties to decision-making at the apex level in our respective organisations are not balanced; a worrying trend which is making us lose valuable inputs from our cherished women who form the majority in society,” he added.
The conference which brought together a number of top female executives was on the theme: “Powering the Future through Balanced Participation in Decision-Making”.
A seasoned journalist, the Daily Graphic columnist and the Board Chair of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), Elizabeth Ohene, said women played a critical role in the society, and, therefore, must be involved in decision-making at all levels.
The Managing Director of GCB Bank Plc, John Kofi Adomakoh, said limited access to education and training, under-representation and the lack of role models, the lack of supportive policies and structures, cultural and societal norms, as well as gender stereotypes and biases, were some of the barriers that impeded women in rising to their full potential.
He suggested education and awareness, mentorship, policy changes and strengthening of collaboration, as well as recognising and celebrating women’s achievements, as some useful ways to break the barriers.
He commended the GEA for leading the call to increase the percentage of women in decision-making roles and addressing gender gaps in leadership.
Conference
The Chief Executive Officer of GEA, Alex Frimpong, later told journalists that the annual leadership conference was an integral part of the association’s flagship FFP, which was first organised in 2022, graduating 65 participants from cohorts one and two.
This year’s graduates came from cohorts three and four.
The FFP Ghana was launched in 2019 by the GEA, in collaboration with the Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise (NHO), to bridge the gender gap at topic leadership positions.
The programme consists of three modules, namely: Leadership Development, Rhetoric and Board Competence aimed at ensuring the full utilisation of female talents in organisations.
The programme, which is a brain child of the NHO, is also replicated in Uganda, Kenya,Tanzania and Tunisia.