The Female Parliamentarians' Association of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOFEPA) has urged women in the region to expand their business horizons by acquiring necessary skills and leveraging technology. This call was made at an executive masterclass titled 'Advancing Women's Participation in Global Trade for Political Readiness and Export Opportunities in ECOWAS Region'. The event brought together women parliamentarians, entrepreneurs, exporters, and stakeholders to discuss increasing women's participation in trade and leadership.
Delivering the welcome address on behalf of ECOFEPA President, First Vice-President Zainab Gimba emphasized that women must transition from participants in economic activities to major drivers of trade, investment, and innovation. She stressed the need to shift focus from empowering women to creating knowledge, networks, and opportunities for them to compete successfully in local, regional, and international markets.
Gimba highlighted that women entrepreneurs face significant barriers, including limited access to finance, market information, technology, and business networks. These challenges are particularly significant for women seeking to transform small-scale businesses into formal, competitive, and export-oriented enterprises. She linked economic success with political participation, saying successful businesses can give women greater confidence, networks, and leadership experience.
Gimba urged governments, financial institutions, development partners, and businesses to provide accessible financing, better trade infrastructure, reliable market information, mentorship, and stronger networks for women entrepreneurs. She also encouraged women to acquire practical knowledge of standards, certification, packaging, branding, logistics, digital commerce, customs procedures, and international buyer requirements.
Representing Ghana's Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Legal Adviser Ms Nnali Bennis-Wallace noted that women are making significant contributions to the region's economic development. However, she stated that many women-owned businesses remain concentrated in the informal economy due to challenges accessing finance, technology, market information, business networks, and larger markets.
Bennis-Wallace called for women to be positioned as producers, exporters, investors, innovators, and decision-makers, rather than primarily as beneficiaries of economic programs. She emphasized that regional and continental trade frameworks can provide opportunities for women entrepreneurs to expand their businesses and participate in intra-African and global trade.
The Ghanaian government recognizes women's economic empowerment as a key component of national development, as outlined in the National Gender Policy 2025-2034. Bennis-Wallace stressed the importance of reliable data in understanding women's participation in trade and designing policies that address the barriers they face. She proposed stronger support for women-owned businesses to become export-ready, alongside expanded access to finance, technology, and digital platforms.
Key points
- ECOFEPA urges women to acquire skills and leverage technology to explore regional and global markets.
- Women entrepreneurs face significant barriers, including limited access to finance, market information, technology, and business networks.
- The Ghanaian government recognizes women's economic empowerment as a key component of national development.
