Eunice Agbenyadzi, Head of Programmes at the Star Ghana Foundation, has called for stronger collaboration among stakeholders to support the growth of women-led enterprises in Ghana.
She made the appeal during a roundtable dialogue organised by the Foundation in partnership with the Network for Women’s Rights in Ghana and the Centre for Gender Studies and Advocacy at the University of Ghana.
Held under the theme “Women’s Enterprise in Ghana: Strengthening the Ecosystem for Growth,” the event examined key challenges confronting women entrepreneurs, including limited access to finance, land, skills, and markets.
Ms. Agbenyadzi emphasised that coordinated efforts among policymakers, financial institutions, academia, and trade actors are critical to creating an enabling environment for women-owned businesses. She advocated for a systems approach that integrates policy support, financing, market access, and infrastructure such as transport and communication to drive sustainable growth.
Citing data from the Ghana Statistical Service, the Overseas Development Institute, and the International Trade Centre, she noted that women account for approximately 42 percent of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises in Ghana, underlining their significant contribution to the economy.
Despite this, she highlighted persistent barriers, particularly in accessing finance due to collateral requirements, expanding into new markets, and securing land for productive use. Limited business skills were also identified as a constraint on growth. She further stressed the importance of targeted financial interventions, including the proposed Women’s Development Bank, describing it as a potential game-changer if properly structured to address the specific needs of women entrepreneurs.
The dialogue also drew attention to the challenges faced by rural women, especially farmers and small-scale producers, who continue to struggle with access to land, credit, and markets. In a keynote address, Akosua Adomako Ampofo Darkwah, Professor of Sociology at the University of Ghana and convenor of NETRIGHT, called for a shift in mindset among entrepreneurs to support business expansion. She noted that the inability to meet demand often reflects insufficient planning for growth.
Prof. Darkwah also emphasised the need to improve both domestic and international market access, urging greater patronage of locally made products while advocating for better payment systems and transport logistics to support exports.
She highlighted the role of the state and families in building a supportive ecosystem, particularly through the redistribution of unpaid care work, to enable women to devote more time and resources to their businesses.
Source: thebftonline.com
