The Government of Ghana has reaffirmed its commitment to creating an enabling environment for women entrepreneurs, announcing that the soon-to-be-established Women’s Development Fund will provide tailored financial support and business development services to help women-owned enterprises thrive.
Delivering the keynote address at the 6th Women in Trade and Investment Conference, the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection said empowering women entrepreneurs remains central to the government’s agenda for inclusive and sustainable economic development.
Speaking on her behalf, Legal Advisor to the minister, Nelly Bernice Wallace, noted that although women dominate Ghana’s informal economy and own a significant number of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), many continue to face barriers such as limited access to affordable credit, inadequate business development services, insufficient market information, and restricted participation in high-value supply chains.
She stressed that addressing these challenges is essential to ensuring women can expand their businesses, create jobs, access regional and international markets, and contribute meaningfully to national development.
The Minister said the government has made significant progress in strengthening the country’s legal and policy framework for gender equality over the past year.
Among the key milestones, she highlighted the implementation of the Affirmative Action (Gender Equity) Act, 2024 (Act 1131), describing it as a landmark law that promotes equitable representation of women in leadership, governance, and decision-making across both the public and private sectors.
She disclosed that the government has established a Gender Equity Committee and a Gender Equity Committee Secretariat to coordinate the implementation of the law, while the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection continues to conduct nationwide public education and institutional capacity-building programmes to support compliance.
The Minister also announced the rollout of the Revised National Gender Policy, which places women’s economic empowerment among its key strategic priorities and seeks to mainstream gender considerations across all sectors of national development.
A major highlight of her address was the government’s plan to establish the Women’s Development Fund, which she described as a transformative intervention aimed at tackling the financing constraints faced by women entrepreneurs.
According to her, the fund will go beyond providing loans by offering financial literacy training, enterprise development support, business advisory services, and customized financial products tailored to the specific needs of women-owned businesses.
She explained that the initiative is expected to bridge the financing gap for women entrepreneurs, stimulate innovation, create employment opportunities, and strengthen women’s participation in regional and continental trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The Minister further noted that while AfCFTA presents enormous opportunities for women-led businesses, entrepreneurs must also be equipped with knowledge of international trade standards, access to finance, digital technologies, efficient logistics systems, business networks, and reliable market information to compete successfully.
She therefore called on financial institutions to develop innovative financial products that respond to the realities of women-owned businesses, while urging development partners, private sector organisations, and business associations to strengthen mentorship programmes, investment opportunities, and market access initiatives for women entrepreneurs.
Encouraging participants to make the most of the conference, the Minister urged women entrepreneurs to embrace innovation, leverage technology, build strategic partnerships, and position their businesses to take full advantage of opportunities under AfCFTA.
She reaffirmed the government’s commitment to supporting women-led enterprises, saying creating opportunities for women to succeed is critical to Ghana’s economic transformation and inclusive growth.
The Minister concluded by commending the Women of Africa Network, the Africa Business Export Club, Consolidated Bank Ghana, and other partners for sustaining a platform that promotes women’s entrepreneurship and economic empowerment across Africa.
Story by : Ama Pomaa Kyekyeku
