Accra: As the world marks International Women's Day (IWD), Help-Her Ghana, a women rights NGO called for urgent action to enhance the economic empowerment of women in the country.
According to Ghana News Agency, Madam Josephine Yalley, its Executive Director, stressed the need for the nation to do more to break barriers that hindered women's financial independence, and professional growth. She was speaking in an interview on the side-lines of a forum held to mark the celebration of the IWD in Sunyani on the theme 'Inspiring Inclusion: Advancing Women's Economic Rights.'
Help-Her Ghana organised the forum which brought together women leaders, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and youth activists to discuss strategies for bridging gender gaps in economic opportunities. Madam Yalley noted that despite progress made so far, many women in the country still faced obstacles, preventing them from reaching their full potential. Economic empowerment, she added, was not just a matter of equity, but a necessity for national development.
'We must therefore strive and remove barriers to financial inclusion, improve access to funding for women-led businesses, and ensure equal opportunities in all sectors,' she stated. The NGO also used the forum to launch a new initiative, the 'Women Economic Resilience Initiative,' a strategy aimed at providing financial literacy training, mentorship, and small business grants to women across the country.
Madam Yalley explained that the initiative further sought to equip women with the necessary skills and resources to build sustainable enterprises and break the cycle of poverty. 'We have also renewed our advocacy for the full implementation of gender-responsive policies,' she stated, urging the government to enforce laws that protected women from workplace discrimination, and ensure equal pay for equal work.
She said as part of the 2025 IWD celebration her organisation would engage in extensive community outreach programmes in the Sunyani Municipality to reach out to and inspire young girls to pursue careers in male-dominated fields including Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). Madam Yalley urged stakeholders to commit to 'real change,' calling on the government, agencies, businesses, and civil society to join forces in building an inclusive economy where every woman could thrive.
'The IWD serves as a reminder that the fight for gender equality continues, and organizations like Help-Her Ghana remain committed to ensuring that no woman is left behind in the pursuit of economic justice,' she stated.
