Stakeholders push for support to boost women’s businesses
THE Head of Programmes at STAR-Ghana Foundation, Eunice Agbenyadzi, has called for stronger collaboration among key stakeholders to support and grow women-owned businesses in Ghana.
She said women contribute significantly to the country’s economy, accounting for about 42 per cent of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs).
However, she said many women-led businesses continue to face persistent challenges that limit their growth.
Mrs Agbenyadzi made the call at a roundtable dialogue organised by STAR-Ghana Foundation in partnership with Network for Women’s Rights in Ghana and Centre for Gender Studies and Advocacy at the University of Ghana in Accra.
It was on the theme: “Women’s Enterprise in Ghana: Strengthening the Ecosystem for Growth.”
Major barriers
According to her, limited access to finance, difficulty entering markets, lack of land and gaps in business skills remained major barriers confronting women entrepreneurs.
Therefore, she stressed the need for a coordinated approach to address these challenges, urging policymakers, financial institutions, academia and trade actors to work together to create an enabling environment for women-led enterprises to thrive.
Mrs Agbenyadzi emphasised that a systems approach such as covering policy, financing, infrastructure, and market access were crucial to achieving sustainable growth for women-owned businesses.
She highlighted the proposed Women’s Development Bank as a potential game-changer, saying it could significantly improve access to finance if properly structured to meet the needs of women entrepreneurs.
The dialogue also drew attention to the struggles of rural women, particularly farmers and small-scale producers, who faced even greater challenges in accessing land, credit and markets.
Growth
In a keynote address, a Professor of Sociology at the University of Ghana and Convenor of NETRIT, Prof. Akosua Darkwah, called for a shift in mindset among entrepreneurs, urging them to plan for growth and expansion.
She also stressed the need to strengthen both domestic and international market access, encouraging Ghanaians to patronise locally made goods while improving transport systems and payment channels to support exports.
Prof. Darkwah further highlighted the role of the state and families in supporting women, particularly by sharing unpaid care responsibilities to enable women to focus more on their businesses