A woman working on the farm
ABOUT 500 women have registered to participate in the maiden edition of the Women in Food and Agricultural Leadership Forum & Expo (WOFAGRIC) and Gold in the Soil Awards, which begin today in Ho.
The two-day event, themed: “Women! Key Partners in Shaping Agribusiness”, is expected to empower, encourage and reward the efforts of women in agribusiness.
The Canadian Embassy is providing funding and technical support for the event.
The First Secretary – Development, Marie Claude Harvey, said: “As a key partner of Ghana, we have in recent times seen the need to increase efforts towards women. This is because women represent an essential part of the society through which the rest of society can be positively impacted.”
She said focusing on gender equality in agriculture for women was an opportunity to address the root cause of poverty among women farmers.
“Women play a key role in agriculture but there is a big gap in terms of access when compared to their male counterparts. This we believe makes it naturally difficult for women to transition from subsistence farming to one of industrial proportion. We are thrilled to know that WOFAGRIC is specifically targeted at women, making it a fantastic opportunity for women to improve their businesses and expand.”
Mentorship and training sessions by YARA Ghana, Sidalco, Interplast and ADB – sponsors of the event – would encourage and empower women who want to venture into agribusiness.
The Gold in the Soil Awards – a core component of the programme – will recognize and reward outstanding women who have made significant contributions in agribusiness. The Gold in the Soil Awards received over 50 nominations since nominations opened and is spread across fourteen (14) categories that including Passion for Farm Award, She Innovates Award, Super Woman Award, Women in Extension Services, Star in Ag Awards, Diamond in the Rough Awards, Feed to Food Award, Change Champion Award, Royal Agro Award (Queen mothers), Lady of the Region Export Award, Climate Smart Women Project awards, Princess “Carla Denizard” Award, Development Partner Award and the most coveted Gold in the Soil Award.
WOFAGRIC Partners in the agricultural sector are Women in Agricultural Development (WIAD), National Farmers & Fishermen Award Winners’ Association and AGRA.
International partners are Brazilian Embassy, Embassy of Israel, USAID’s advance project, Netherlands Embassy and USAD Amplified.
WOFAGRIC is expected to move to a different region every year, offering women all over the country an equal chance to be encouraged and celebrated.
By Samuel Boadi