Global Affairs Canada (GAC) has partnered with the Agrichouse Foundation to empower female farmers and people with disabilities in Ghana’s agriculture value chain.
The non-governmental organisation (NGO) said it intended to offer training to female farmers in current agricultural techniques, and has accordingly scheduled the Women in Food and Agricultural Leadership Training Forum (WOFAGRIC) and Gold in the Soil Awards for potential beneficiaries.
Second Secretary for Development at GAC, Candace Holt, said the programme would come off in Sunyani in the Bono Region on July 9 and end July10, 2024.
She emphasised that the NGO’s continuous support for Agrihouse Foundation’s WOFAGRIC and Gold in the Soil Awards, is aligned with the Feminist International Assistance Policy.
Ms. Holt highlighted the partnership’s impact on Ghana’s agricultural sector, pointing to a considerable growth in women’s empowerment and self-reliance over the last six years.
“This has enabled them to achieve higher levels of financial autonomy, investment in land, expansion of agro-processing activities, and sustainability for their families,” he indicated.
She added that this had contributed to advancing United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goal Five, on promoting gender equality.
This policy, she explained, recognised that when women reach their full economic potential in agriculture, the economy thrives, benefiting more people.
Executive Director of the Agrihouse Foundation, Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa, expressed her heartfelt appreciation for Global Affairs Canada’s unwavering support over the last six years.
She pointed out that Global Affairs Canada had an important role in improving the status of women in agriculture in Ghana through the WOFAGRIC and Gold in the Soil Awards.
“Their continued support enables us to create opportunities for women to thrive in agriculture, contributing to Ghana’s economic growth and advancing gender equality,” she added.
The two-day WOFAGRIC event in Sunyani will feature over 600 women participating in panel discussions, training workshops, exhibitions, trade shows, speed networking, and mentorship sessions under the theme, ‘Overcoming the Barriers to Women Agribusiness Development: The Role of Stakeholders’.
By Prince Fiifi Yorke