Mohammed Anwar Sadat Adam, the Country Director for Oxfam Ghana
The Women’s Economic Advancement for Collective Transformation (WEACT) summit, powered by Oxfam Ghana, convened a diverse group of stakeholders from various sectors to deliberate on innovative strategies for sustaining women’s economic empowerment and driving inclusive growth.
In his speech, Mohammed Anwar Sadat Adam, the Country Director for Oxfam Ghana, highlighted the achievements of the WEACT project.
The project, powered by Oxfam Ghana, aimed to promote women’s economic empowerment and address systemic barriers.
Mr. Adam highlighted a few key achievements, including Legal Awareness and Rights. He explained that 126 trained Legal Literacy Volunteers (LLVs) raised awareness about women’s rights, family law, inheritance law, and children’s rights among 15,000 community members.
He also noted that there were 15 critical cases, including returning lands to widows, securing child support, and stopping eight child marriages.
Mr. Mohammed Anwar Sadat Adam also said that over 30,000 people accessed information about legal rights through an interactive voice messaging platform with a toll-free line.
Mr. Adam noted the increment in legal knowledge, explaining that a significant proportion of women (85.3%) reported knowing how to claim their rights through informal channels, while 68.3% knew how to claim their rights through institutions like the legal system.
The Country Director for Oxfam Ghana also outlined the reduction in unpaid care work, explaining that 540 couples enrolled in the project reported a reduction in unpaid care work, with women saving 20.23 hours per week and men increasing their contribution by 18.21 hours per week.
He also talked about improving academic performance, noting that “girls gained 29.6 hours of free time per week, leading to improved academic performance.”
On gender equality, Mr. Adam highlighted the progress towards gender equality, stating, “A significant majority of men (96%) and women (98%) believed in sharing household responsibilities equally, reflecting a notable improvement from baseline values.”
He also spoke about women’s leadership and economic empowerment, stating, “The project has trained 900 women in gender-responsive business acumen and leadership skills, leading to increased productivity and profit margins.”
Overall, the WEACT project has made significant strides in promoting women’s economic empowerment, addressing systemic barriers, and fostering a more equitable society in Ghana, according to Mr. Mohammed Anwar Sadat Adam.
