Economic empowerment of women key to accelerating poverty eradication, economic growth - Constant Tchona

Constant Tchona, the Country Director of Plan International Ghana outlined the significant benefit of the economic empowerment of women and girls to the development of the Ghanaian economy.

According to him, there is direct correlation between the two as the empowerment of women economically will not just bridge the gender gap in the corporate or economic space but also result in poverty eradication.

Speaking at the launch of a national advocacy campaign on the theme “fostering economic justice and equality for women leaders in business and entrepreneurship for accelerated economic growth”, Constant Tchona expressed the need for the creation of awareness and promotion of women leadership in every facet of the society.

Providing historical context to the conversation, Constant Tchona detailed how women have since time immemorial played leading roles in breaking barriers and advancing the growth of humans.

He regretted however that despite these outstanding accomplishments, some of the barriers that cripple the progress of women continue to exist and that it is imperative that Ghana and the world at large formulate and implement policies that will help deal with the problem.

“Women have long been at the forefront of driving positive change, breaking barriers, and paving the way for a more inclusive and equitable world. Yet, despite their immense contributions, women continue to face systemic barriers that hinder their path in all spheres of life.

“Women’s equal access to land, to affordable financial services, and their ascension to leadership roles must be prioritized to achieve economic justice and equality for women. Investing in women’s economic empowerment sets a direct path toward gender equality, poverty eradication, and inclusive economic growth. “When a woman thrives, all of society benefits”. “

He offered some education on the commitment and mission of Plan International Ghana which is anchored on the progress of children, particularly girls and women.

She noted that the Women’s Innovation for Sustainable Enterprise (WISE), which is a brainchild of his outfit, seeks to provide a platform for discourse and actions aimed at bridging the gap between both genders.

“Plan International Ghana as a human rights organization, seeks to improve the lives of children, especially girls and young women who are the most vulnerable in our societies. We go beyond the “symptoms” of the many challenges affecting girls, young women, and women to explicitly tackle the root causes of gender inequality, particularly unequal gender power relations, and discriminatory social norms while working on beliefs, systems, structures, policies, and practices at the individual, family, community and national levels. We work to improve the daily conditions of girls while advancing their position and value in society.

"The Women’s Innovation for Sustainable Enterprise project (aka WISE) on whose platform we are gathered here for this occasion is built on that gender transformative approach. It is built on the premise that gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls are some of the effective ways to break the cycle of poverty and build a more resilient, peaceful, inclusive, and prosperous society. The project seeks to improve women’s agency, self-esteem, and confidence to exercise and influence decisions regarding their participation in sustainable economic growth.”

The Chief Director of the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr Afizah Zakariah, in a speech read on her behalf, commended Plan International for the consistent display of commitment to the advancement of the women and children.

“I must therefore commend Plan International, the organizers of the Women’s Innovation for Sustainable Enterprises (WISE) Project in Ghana for their continuous commitment in appreciating the importance of empowering women and advocating for women’s participation in leadership at all levels,” he said.

She also outlined some initiatives by the government to ensure the empowerment of Ghanaian women.

“The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection has currently reviewed and updated the National Gender Policy. This Policy seeks to create equal opportunities for all by mainstreaming gender equality and women's empowerment concerns into our national development process to ensure that no one is left behind.

“The Affirmative Action Bill which is also before Parliament for debate and seeks to effectively redress the social, cultural, economic and political gender imbalances as well as promote a progressive increase in the active participation of women in public life. Currently, the Social Protection Bill is before Parliament for debate and will provide a good opportunity to promote the full employment and decent work for the vulnerable who are mostly women to ensure their productive inclusion in ending poverty in all its forms in the country” she said.