ย Womenโs empowยญerment remains a powerful tool for alleviating poverty while ensuring child safety, the Country Director of Plan International Ghana, Mr Constant Tchona, has said.
He made this assertion yesterday during the close-out ceremony of the Women Innovation for Sustainable Enterprises (WISE) Project in Accra.
The five-year initiative, spearยญheaded by Plan International Ghana and funded by Global Afยญfairs Canada, was implemented in the Bono, Bono East, Ahafo, and Northern regions.
It aimed to empower women economically and improve their wellbeing through a comprehenยญsive suite of gender-responsive business services in five districts within the targeted regions.
The project targeted underemยญployed women aged 19 to 54 years in rural and suburban areas.
Mr Tchona emphasised the critiยญcal role of womenโs empowerment in achieving sustainable developยญment goals and fostering economic growth.
โWhen women are supported with an enabling environment to fully participate in economic activities, households experience becomes significant improvement.โ
โWomen entrepreneurs play a pivotal role in national developยญment, and their empowerment creยญates safe spaces for their children to thrive,โ he noted.
The WISE Project focused on addressing the root causes of genยญder inequality, enhancing womenโs economic rights, and alleviating poverty.
Mr Tchona stated that with the right support, women have the capacity to eradicate hunger and poverty in Africa.
โThe WISE project has demonยญstrated what women can achieve when given opportunities to excel,โ he added.
Providing an overview of the project, Ms Theodora Asare, Projยญect Manager of WISE, explained that it was designed to strengthen womenโs rights to economic emยญpowerment, and engage men and traditional leaders as partners in promoting gender equality.
She added that gaps in delivering gender-responsive financial, busiยญness, and marketing services were addressed, alongside advocacy for inclusive economic growth.
Ms Asare revealed that the projยญect directly reached 14,123 women, with 5,445 receiving start-up support in agribusiness. Additionยญally, 64 child-friendly spaces were established, and 28 were renovated.
โThe project has significantly inยญcreased the realisation of womenโs rights to economic empowerment, leading to improved wellbeing and inclusive growth in the targeted communities,โ she stated.
The Director and Head of Cooperation at the Canadian High Commission in Ghana, Kathleen Flynn-Dapaah, commended the transformational impact of the project.
She urged beneficiaries to safeยญguard their achievements, stating, โThe transformational change in the lives of these women is truly inspiring. It is essential to nurture and protect the progress made to ensure sustained growth.โ
Seth Twim Akwaboah of the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), a partner of the project, praised the initiative for empowerยญing women to break barriers and contribute to their communities.
He underscored AGIโs role in mentoring and providing networkยญing opportunities for the benefiยญciaries.
One of the beneficiaries, Mrs Gifty Konmon, a beekeeper, exยญpressed gratitude for the initiative, saying, โThanks to the support, I can now harvest and sell honey, generating income to help my husband with household expenses, including paying our childrenโs school fees.โ
ย BY RAISSA SAMBOUa
