Policy forum on women’s economic empowerment through social enterprise slated for March 14

Global Entrepreneurship Network - Ghana (GEN - Ghana), in partnership with the British Council, Ghana, will host a Policy Forum on Women’s Economic Empowerment through Social Enterprise on 14 March 2019, 6pm GMT at the British Council as part of the Ghana Women in Social Enterprise 2019 month of activities.

The forum will launch the British Council’s latest research report – “Activist to Entrepreneur: The role of Social Enterprise in Supporting Women’s Empowerment in Ghana”, which sets out to establish how well social enterprise addresses gender inequality and women’s empowerment in Ghana.

It is part of a series of reports commissioned by the British Council to look at the link between social enterprise and women’s empowerment across six countries: Ghana, Brazil, India, Pakistan, the UK and the United States of America (USA). It also explores the strengths and weaknesses of social enterprise as a mechanism for empowering women and considers different ways it is being used for this end.

The forum will also bring together key stakeholders in academia, policy makers, female social entrepreneurs, development partners, and the private sector for a conversation on the current constraints faced by female social entrepreneurs across Ghana, with a specific focus on accessing opportunities in training, finance and trade markets.

Activities include exhibitions by female-owned social enterprises, and a panel discussion on the topic: Women Economic Empowerment through Social Enterprise: The Role of Government, Civil Society and the Private Sector.

Ghana Women in Social Enterprise (GWISE) month aims to promote women in social enterprise to generate social good through sustainable business opportunities, while fostering economic inclusion for women. We aim to host a series of events in the month of March 2019 to put a spotlight on Women in Social Enterprise, while commemorating the International Women’s Month of celebrations.

The project seeks to:

1. Expose opportunities and inspire women in social enterprise to realize their potential to start and grow their own social businesses.

2. Equip existing and aspiring female social entrepreneurs with practical tools, insights, experts, and resources to accelerate their successes.

3. Connect female entrepreneurs with a broad community, and thriving, diverse and relevant networks.

4. Engage and provide a platform for the social enterprise ecosystem—examining research, public policies and successful approaches towards promoting women social entrepreneurship in Ghana.