IWD: Women extolled for their role in agricultural development

Mr Matthias Berthold of the European Union Ghana Agriculture Programme (EU-GAP) Coordinating Unit, has extolled women for the important role they play in agriculture development in Ghana.

He, however, believed that the real potential of female farmers in contributing to the agriculture sector was much larger if they had access to the needed resources and support.

Mr Berthold, the Project Manager for the Resilience Against Climate Change (REACH), was speaking at an event at Dapuoha community in the Wa Municipality to celebrate this year’s International Women’s Day (IWD) on the theme: “Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress”.

The German Cooperation for International Development (GIZ) organised the event under the EU-GAP, which brought together selected smallholder women farmers in the region and representatives of departments and agencies, including the Department of Agriculture among others.

He referenced a report on Ghana by the Food and Agriculture Organization, which said about 52 per cent of Ghana’s labour force was engaged in agriculture and about 39 per cent of the farm labour force was women.

He indicated that despite women’s active role in the agricultural sector, they still faced significant barriers in accessing and controlling vital agricultural resources such as land, which did not only hamper their progress but also undermined the productivity of the local communities.

He emphasised the need to prioritise women’s empowerment by ensuring that they had equitable access to resources, “whether through targeted investments or reallocating existing ones.”

“… let us commit ourselves to the cause of investing in women, bridging the gender gap, encouraging men to support women in every way possible, and break down the barriers that hinder the full participation of women in agriculture,” he said.

Mr Berthold explained that through the Market-Oriented Agriculture Programme (MOAP-NW) and the REACH Project, they were providing women farmers with business development services to enhance their income of agro-processors.

He added that they also provided access to finance, training, and information and leveraged innovative digital platforms to improve their farming activities.

He said they were also working with about 600 Village Savings and Loans Associations (VSLA) groups to enhance the women’s access to finance, training and capacity building.

Madam Benedette Naab, the Woman in Agricultural Development (WIAD) Officer at the Wa Municipal Agricultural Directorate, observed that investing in women was not just a moral obligation, but a strategic means of accelerating progress and creating a more inclusive world for all.

She said women faced many barriers, including limited access to resources, land ownership, education, and decision-making power, which needed to be addressed to ensure inclusiveness.

Madam Emilia Nimbebiir, a farmer from Ketuo community in the Nandom Municipality, called on the government to support women farmers since it could improve their economic status.

According to her, the agricultural equipment, including rippers and the roller planters, made available to women farmers by the EU-GAP was impacting on her farming activities positively.