Women entrepreneurs need support
The acceleration of economic growth in the country requires an increased number of women entrepreneurs, the President of African Women’s Entrepreneurship Programme (AWEP), Mrs Comfort Akorfa Adjahoe-Jennings has said.
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She said women entrepreneurs needed to be recognised and given the necessary attention as partners in managing the economy as well as solutions to the economic challenges.
Mrs Adjahoe-Jennings said this at an exhibition and bazaar organised as part of the activities to mark the annual International Women’s Day which is held on March 8 every year to celebrate women’s contribution to global development.
Members of the group showcased their work, comprising clothing, ceramics, soap, detergents, skincare products, food among others.
A breast cancer screening and sensitisation exercise was also organised for the women.
While the national theme was: ‘Gender Equality by 2030: Inclusion of all for Ghana’s Sustainable Development”, the group adopted “Women Entrepreneurs; Sustainable and Strategic Partners for Africa’s Development”.
Good managers
Considering their ability and natural characteristic of managing the home and domestic activities, Mrs Adjahoe-Jennings said women’s role in economic development and management could not be overemphasised.
“Women are not only good planners but are also highly regarded managers who are able to protect, preserve and make the best of the little that they have,” she stated.
The president further indicated the need to improve the status of women and the promotion of their roles in development, saying these were no longer seen merely as issues of human rights or social justice.
Mrs Adjahoe-Jennings said investments in women were now widely recognised as crucial to achieving sustainable development, adding that low levels of education, poor health and limited access to resources not only repressed women's quality of life but limited productivity and hindered economic efficiency and growth.
To make a strong case for their demands, Mrs Adjahoe-Jennings said women needed to come together so that they could be recognised.
“We should not be our own enemies but rather stay together as one. We should be bold, confident and come out of our comfort zones to enable us make known our challenges”, she said.
About AWEP
The United States Secretary of State, Mrs Hillary Rodham Clinton, launched the African Women’s Entrepreneurship Programme in 2010 at President Obama’s Entrepreneurship Summit in Washington.
AWEP was conceived to empower women entrepreneurs in Africa to take advantage of favourable terms of trade under the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act.
Under the AWEP, selected women business leaders from across Africa were enrolled in the International Visitor Leadership Programme.
Women entrepreneurs comprise nearly half of registered companies in Ghana and AWEP Ghana is a platform to leverage partnerships for economic growth and impact.
The programme is, therefore, meant to empower women entrepreneurs in Ghana to impact positively on society as a whole and to advocate for an enabling environment for women in business and their effective participation in international trade.