Hajia Fatahiya Abdul Aziz with Patricia Appiagyei at the Conference
About 500 women in the Savelugu Constituency have received training in agriculture, agribusiness, and trade through the She Grows Conference, an initiative of the Yooyili Pag-Dede Foundation.
The program ran under the theme, “Her Hands, Our Harvest: The Future is Fertile.”
The beneficiaries underwent mentoring and practical sessions led by specialists including Executive Chef, Failatu Abdul Razak, culinary brand ambassador; Hajia Sagito-Saeed, Executive Director of SWIDA Ghana; Dr. Juliana Bawah, Senior Lecturer at UDS; Jeffery Crentsil, Data Scientist at Farmerline; and other industry experts.
Member of Parliament (MP) for Savelugu, Hajia Fatahiya Abdul Aziz, said the conference seeks to change perceptions of rural women in agriculture, who have long been seen only as subsistence farmers.
“Our women are not charity cases. They are farmers, innovators, business owners and economic drivers. They are the architects of a green economy that the world is only just beginning to understand,” she said.
She emphasised that the programme moves participants beyond survival into growth and lasting prosperity.
“We are equipping 500 women from Savelugu and beyond with modern agricultural tools, digital literacy and premium branding strategies that turn hard work into high-yielding equity,” the MP stated.
She added that women with disabilities and local livestock rearers are central to the transformation, with adaptive tools and training in high-value processing, poultry management, and digital roles.
Hajia Fatahiya urged participants to maximize the opportunity. “Learn, ask questions, build friendships and find your mentor. Share your story and know that the woman sitting next to you may one day be your business partner, your supplier, your greatest champion,” she told the women.
Deputy Minority Leader, Patricia Appiagyei, who attended the event, said economic empowerment means having the power to make choices, own assets, and access opportunities.
“When a woman succeeds economically, the entire household benefits: children stay in school, families are healthier, and communities become more prosperous,” she noted.
Madam Appiagyei called on the government, financial institutions, development partners, and the private sector to increase investments in women farmers through affordable credit, mechanisation, training, market access, and land security.
“Investing in women is not charity; it is one of the smartest economic decisions a nation can make,” she said.
FROM Eric Kombat, Savelugu