Government urged to create special financial instruments for Women in Business

The Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Ghana on Tuesday 31st August 2021 organized this year’s edition of the Women in Business Roundtable at La Villa Boutique Hotel in Osu, themed, “Creating Solutions, Rising Above Challenges”.

The event was a follow up to the successful maiden edition of the Women in Business Forum held in February 2020, which discussed challenges women face in business and the corporate world in Ghana.

This year’s event was a roundtable discussion with the objective to identify possible solutions to the numerous challenges women entrepreneurs and executives encounter. Selected stakeholders attended the event from the public and private sector, including female business influentials, young female entrepreneurs, development partners and Civil Service Organizations (CSOs).

The Deputy Head of Mission of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Ghana, Katja Lasseur, in her welcoming address indicated that the discussion on challenges women in business faces is not only particular to Ghana, rather, a global issue which requires closer collaboration in discussing possible solutions.

“The issues being discussed are complex and very substantial. We need to be modest and have tenacity in approaching them. The role of the embassy in convening and offering the platform for these conversations will always be relevant and we are committed to this and other initiatives aimed at finding solutions to challenges that prevent women from achieving success in their business and work”, she added.

The speakers who led the two-set panel discussion included Ambra Yirenkyi, Policy Advisor at the Gender Ministry, Catherine  Krobo Adusie of Eden Tree, Emi-Beth Aku Quantson, Kawa Moka, Theresa Ayoade, Execuitve Director of Charter House Productions and Leticia Brown of Intelligence Capital / FEM Start Africa. Other panelists were Florence Ohene, a Transformational Business Development Expert and former Country Manager of IBM, Anna Nabire of Plan Ghana, Akwasi Jonah Snr. Of IDEC, Elsie Appua-Klu of Acreaty and Dr. Bernice Welbeck, Director of Admin and HR at the National Labour Commission.

Some government initiatives targeted at women highlighted during the discussions included the COVID-19 Alleviation and Revitalization of Enterprise Support (CARES) program to address post COVID economic hardships, NBSSI COVID recovery program to provide support to SMEs and preparation for the passage of the Affirmative Action Bill.

From the audience engagement, the participants advocated for the empowerment of women financially, making available, special financial instruments specifically for women in business as well as publicizing pay averages to serve as a reference point for women to negotiate.

In addition, there was a call for men to join the conversation regarding finding solutions to challenges women in business face as well as recognizing the integral role women play in raising and influencing the personalities of the men who “set the tone”.