The government has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening women’s economic participation through improved access to affordable financing, business development support, export training and expanded market opportunities.
The commitment was reiterated at the 5th Ghana Women Entrepreneurship Summit held in Accra on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, where Vice President Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang and the Minister for Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, outlined interventions aimed at supporting women-owned businesses and expanding their contribution to Ghana’s economic development.
The summit brought together stakeholders to discuss opportunities and challenges confronting women entrepreneurs, particularly access to finance, business growth, market expansion and participation in productive sectors of the economy.
“The establishment of the Women’s Development Bank is a major intervention to address financing challenges confronting women entrepreneurs.”
Vice President of Ghana, Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang
Women’s Development Bank to Address Financing Gaps
The Vice President identified the establishment of the Women’s Development Bank as a major government intervention to address persistent financing challenges confronting women entrepreneurs.
The proposed institution is expected to provide a dedicated financing avenue to support women’s economic activities and strengthen their ability to establish businesses, expand existing enterprises and improve their productive capacity.
Beyond financing, Professor Opoku-Agyemang called for stronger linkages between agriculture and industry to enhance women’s participation in Ghana’s economic transformation.
She emphasised that connecting agricultural production with industrial processing could create additional opportunities for women to participate in value addition, manufacturing and other commercially viable activities.
Trade Ministry Expands Support for Women Entrepreneurs
In her keynote address, the Minister for Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, outlined government interventions designed to strengthen women owned businesses and improve their competitiveness in domestic and international markets.
“More than 1,300 entrepreneurs have benefited from export training and promotional support provided in partnership with TradeMark Africa and other development partners.”
Minister for Trade, Hon. Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare
She disclosed that the Ministry had supported more than 1,300 entrepreneurs through export training and promotional activities undertaken in partnership with TradeMark Africa and other development partners.
The initiative forms part of efforts to equip women entrepreneurs with the knowledge and skills required to identify export opportunities, understand international trade requirements and position their products for wider markets.
The Minister further highlighted interventions to improve access to finance, facilitate product certification, promote value addition and expand market opportunities under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
“Government is working to improve access to finance, facilitate product certification, promote value addition and expand market access under the AfCFTA.”
Minister for Trade, Hon. Elizabeth Ofosu- Adjare
These interventions are intended to strengthen the capacity of women-owned enterprises to meet market requirements, improve product quality and take advantage of regional and international trade opportunities.
Product certification remains important for businesses seeking to access formal markets, while value addition provides opportunities for enterprises to move beyond raw material production into processing and finished products.
Through the AfCFTA, Ghanaian women entrepreneurs also have opportunities to explore a larger African market, provided their businesses meet the necessary trade, quality and regulatory requirements. Youth Enterprise Launchpad Launched
The 5th Ghana Women Entrepreneurship Summit also provided a platform for the launch of the Youth Enterprise Launchpad, introducing an additional focus on entrepreneurship development and opportunities for young people.
The initiative’s launch formed part of broader discussions on enterprise development, economic participation and the need to create opportunities for emerging entrepreneurs.
“Stronger linkages between agriculture and industry are essential to enhancing women’s participation in Ghana’s economic transformation.”
Vice President of Ghana, Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang
The Vice President’s emphasis on strengthening agricultural and industrial connections highlights the importance of creating opportunities across productive sectors, particularly for women and young entrepreneurs seeking to build sustainable businesses.
The inclusion of youth entrepreneurship at the summit further highlighted the importance of equipping emerging business owners with the resources and opportunities needed to establish and grow their enterprises.
For Ghana’s broader economic transformation agenda, strengthening entrepreneurship among women and young people remains relevant to expanding private-sector participation, encouraging innovation and supporting employment creation.
The summit reinforced the importance of ensuring that women entrepreneurs have access not only to financing but also to the business development resources, skills and market opportunities required to translate their entrepreneurial potential into sustainable economic activities.
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