Support women entrepreneurs to breakthrough

Accra, July 12, GNA - Mrs Agnes Adjei-Sam, Head of the Ghana Export Trade Information Centre, on Tuesday called for a concerted effort towards enhancing the competitiveness of women for increased trade and economic transformation to alleviate poverty.

She said the nation stood a better chance of improving its economy when women were given the necessary empowerment by helping to develop their entrepreneurship and to export their produce.

Mrs Adjei-Sam made the call at a workshop for women entrepreneurs in Accra on Tuesday on ACCESS, a regional gender initiative of the International Trade Centre (ITC) aimed at improving business support services for women in international trade.

The ITC in partnership with the Ghana Export Promotion Centre organized the programme.

It is expected to increase the capacity of public and private service providers in recipient countries to support women entrepreneurs who are also emerging exporters as well as to improve the export readiness of targeted women-owned and operated enterprises.

ACCESS II Ghana is to assess the impact of ACCESS I on participants and to enhance international trade skills of new participants who have already attained a fair level of management competence.

Mrs Adjei-Sam said Ghanaian businesswomen needed access to markets, training, information and other trade related support and that ACCESS would help the African businesswoman to enhance her competitiveness.

She said though women represented more than half of the world's labour force and innovation power, there were only a few initiatives in place to help unlock their potential for economic growth.

Mr Samuel Brew, Head of the Export School of the Export Promotion Council, who chaired the function, advised women to venture more into the export market.

He advised women entrepreneurs to be innovative and adopt various ways of improving their businesses.

Mr Brew advised the women to take the bold step and contract loans from banks and other loan schemes to enhance their businesses for their economic emancipation for poverty reduction.