Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, the Running Mate to National Democratic Congress (NDC) flagbearer, says the pledge to establish a special women’s bank is borne out of research and feedback from female entrepreneurs particularly traders.
To be known as the Women Development Bank, the NDC policy initiative she said is designed to offer soft loans to ordinary women who find it difficult to raised capital to nurture and grow women-owned, women-led businesses.
Prof. Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang who was addressing the NDC campaign launch in Tamale on Saturday, said the well thought through initiative follows complaints about strict requirements like high collaterals demanded by banks and other financial institutions, which many of the potential female millionaires do not have.
“Women are willing to support their husbands. If we empower them, it will make life easy for their families and we expect our men, to join this good course by voting NDC into power”
She highlighted the potential benefits of empowering women in entrepreneurship, noting that when women prosper, they invest in their children and wider families. “There is better stability and peace at home; most will demand less ‘chop money’,”
Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, added that the Women Development Bank which is intended to empower one million women across the country, will give out interest free loans.
“What do they bring? All we are saying is that, it is a small amount and you came for GHC4,000 or GHC5,000, you bring us back just the 4,000 or 5,000. Don’t bring any interest because a lot of the women are forced to go for loans and you go for GHC2,000 they tell you bring GHC2,000 more.”
