Market women across the country have benefited from two-day
training programme on women empowerment.
Businesses in the non-formal sector
contribute significantly to the growth of the economy and more women working in
the informal sector are women.
Notwithstanding the important role market women
play in the country there are some gaps that hinders their progress.
To address these gaps,
the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection organized the first ever
National Market Women Conference in Accra to empower and build the capacity of
market women to enable them advance their welfare.
The Conference which was part of a series of conferences
being held across some selected regions in the country to empower market women
for economic prosperity saw participants educated on how to use technology to
access markets, such as mobile phones, effective trading, financial literacy,
business development trainings, setting up of micro-credit schemes, taxation,
health and sanitary concerns in markets, and sexual harassment at market
places.
Speaking at the conference, the First Lady Mrs. Lordina
Mahama noted that if Ghana is able to tackle gender inequality; it will enhance
greater economic productivity, and improve opportunities for the next
generation, and make policies and regulations friendlier for the small stall
operator.
She stated that the Food and Agriculture Organization, of
the United Nations, estimates that if women had the same access to productive
resources as men, they could increase yields on their farms, by 20 to 30
percent. This she believes will help bring about prosperity, and reduced hunger
in Ghana and indeed globally.
‘’Let us break down barriers limiting women’s growth, and
empowerment, and increase opportunities for women, to contribute to the
country’s economic growth’’ she said.
The First Lady asserted that markets play an important role,
in the socio-economic life of people, as they facilitate the exchange of goods
and services, create employment, and serve as a major source of revenue for
many local authorities in developing countries.
She argues that the small market stalls operated from various
markets are at the heart of the country’s economy, and therefore cannot be
neglected by policymakers.
She said Government is engaged currently, in modernizing
most of the traditional markets in the country, and improving the general
environment in which traders work.
“Government is committed to establishing avenues for women,
to access financial resources to invest in their businesses. There is therefore
a commitment to elevate businesses of women, from micro to small and medium
scale enterprise level, through an increase in their access to credit’’ she
said.
Mrs. Mahama noted that with more opportunities to start and
manage viable business, greater access to land, education and skills
development, and more opportunities to participate in decision-making, women could
pull themselves out of poverty, and improve their quality of life of their
families and communities.
She stressed that government considers women’s economic
empowerment, a key priority, in the development agenda, and views it as
fundamental in addressing problems, like poverty and gender-based violence.
Mrs. Mahama announced that Microfinance and Small Loans
Centre (MASLOC), intends to support over fifteen thousand (15,000) people, in
the small and medium scale enterprises sector, in addition to disbursing funds
to over two hundred thousand (200,000) people, engaged in food-crop farming and
food marketing.
For her part, Nana Oye Lithur, Minister for Gender, Children
and Social Protection, said market women must be equipped with the required
skills and information to help them pull themselves out of poverty to improve
the quality of their lives, that of their families and communities.
Prior to that, she said the market women are being train to
manage viable business, to secure greater access to land, and to maximise
opportunities around them.
Nana Oye Lithur announced that about 200 market women in the
Ashanti, Brong Ahafo and Greater Accra regions have undergone practical
training in financial management, leadership, use of technology to enhance work,
basic healthcare and many others.
President of the Greater Accra Market Women Association,
Mercy Nii Djan expressed gratitude to government for his effort to improve
various markets all over the country. She also thanked the Gender Minister for
her unrelenting efforts to bring the issues of concern to market women to the
fore including soliciting their contributions for national policies such as the
new Gender Policy.
Madam Mercy Nii Djan called for partnership between market
associations and assemblies and other potential institutional partners in the
public as well as the formal private sectors.
On behalf of the Market Women, Madam Mercy Djan presented a
communiqué detailing their concerns to the Gender Ministry.
No comments:
Post a Comment