The Youth Development and Voice Initiative (YOVI), an NGO, has held a two-day meeting to empower and link smallholder women aggregators and agro-processors in the maize, rice, groundnut, and shea value chains.
The meeting, held in collaboration with governmental bodies, industry experts, and civil society organisations, convened 120 women beneficiaries alongside key stakeholders and representatives from the Sagnarigu Municipal and Nanton District of the Northern Region.
This was contained in a statement issued by YOVI signed by Mr Hussein Rahman, its Executive Director, and copied to the Ghana News Agency in Tamale on Thursday.
The statement said, “The meeting, which was held from January 03 to January 04, 2024, marks an important achievement as the fourth milestone since the inception of the Increasing Competitiveness of Smallholder Women Aggregators and Processors along the Maize, Rice, Groundnut and Shea Value Chains for Increased Prosperity project in October 2023.
The project, which is supported by the United States Agency for International Development, under the Ghana Trade and Investment Activity through the Nathan Associates, is being implemented in selected communities in the Sagnarigu Municipality and the Nanton District.
The statement said the primary objective of the meeting was to strengthen networks between women in agricultural value chains and financial service providers, input suppliers, reliable markets, and supporting government institutions.
It said, “Key achievements from this meeting include commitments from government representatives to support women in agro-processing emphasising gender equality and economic empowerment.”
It said, “In addition, insights shared regarding product certification and quality standards by the Food and Drugs Authority were highlighted as crucial for product credibility and consumer confidence.”
It said a significant milestone of the meeting was the registration of 20 participants, who expressed keen interest in formalising their small businesses.
The statement said representatives from restaurants and financial institutions pledged their support for collaborative effort to create enhanced market access opportunities for women entrepreneurs.
It said YOVI remained committed to fostering growth and empowerment within the agricultural sector aiming to provide continued support and platforms for the advancement of women in agro-processing.
Source: GNA
