Officials of GIZ, EU and women entrepreneurs
Forty women-led businesses have received targeted training, financial support, and partnerships with the private sector in a move to empower and make them successful.
The women entrepreneurs, from various sectors including agriculture, clothing manufacturing, e-commerce, arts and craft, and technology, were celebrated for their achievements following the successful implementation of the Women Entrepreneurship for Africa (WE4A) project in the country.
WE4A is an initiative of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, co-funded by the European Union and the Organisation of African, Caribbean, and Pacific States.
It is a two-year project aimed at empowering African women entrepreneurs, fostering economic growth, and promoting gender equality in entrepreneurship,
It is implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and the Tony Elumelu Foundation.
Cluster Coordinator, Sustainable Economic Development, GIZ Ghana, Gerald Guskowski, speaking at the closeout event in Accra said women economic empowerment remains a very important issue for Africa, especially seeing that they are more economically active in Africa than anywhere else in the world, according to the ILO World Employment and Social Outlook Report (2019).
He said women have historically been underrepresented in formal employment, and while participation is increasing, there are persistent constraints faced by women in the labour market, including unequal access to education and skill.
“For the Women Entrepreneurship for Africa Programme (WE4A), the overall objective is to increase the economic inclusion and empowerment of women in order to create more decent jobs in African economies. Specifically, it is targeted to increase the number of African women entrepreneurs who have enhanced business capacities, have access to formal financial services, are integrated into local and regional value chains, and contribute to employment creation in their communities,” he said
He encouraged all stakeholders to continue to join hands to empower women led enterprises even after the closure of the programme.
“To the 40 women entrepreneurs who have successfully completed this phase of the programme, I congratulate you and encourage you to make the most of everything you have learnt through this intervention, so that you will continue to be shining examples of economically empowered women to your communities,” he said.
Team leader of the Employment for Skills and Development in Africa (E4D) at GIZ Ghana, John Duti said the WE4A project achieved its success of empowering women entrepreneurs through comprehensive training in capacity building, bookkeeping, and investor readiness among others.
Mr. Duti said the women entrepreneurship programme also equipped the 40 businesses with various tools to enhance their growth.
“These businesses have now collectively secured 217 jobs and created 103 new jobs,” noted Mr. Duti.
Deputy Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Ghana Enterprise Agency (GEA), Anna Armo-Himbson commended GIZ for the successful implementation of the project.
She expressed satisfaction at the outcome saying the promotion of SMEs is crucial to the attainment of the countries socio-economic development aspirations.
She affirmed the agency’s commitment to partnering development partners to empower more women led businesses in the country.
The closeout event provided a platform for women entrepreneurs to share their experiences, including their journey, opportunities, challenges, and valuable lessons acquired during the programme’s execution.
It also showcased their progress, achievements, and contributions to their respective industries. In addition, the closeout event facilitated networking opportunities, fostering discussions about the future steps and support for women-led enterprises in Ghana after the project concludes.
CEO of Hyma Academy and a beneficiary of the WE4A project, Juanita Addo, sharing her experience said, “With support from WE4A, myself and seven other entrepreneurs have successfully secured $2 million US Dollars from private high-net-worth individual (HNI) investors during a pitch event in September 2023.”
Additionally, four SMEs have also secured a grant of €120,000; an additional 10 SMEs have also received equipment grant of €50,000 to support their businesses.
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri