Accra, April 27, GNA- The Ghana Enterprises Agency (GEA), in partnership with Mastercard Foundation and SheHub, has launched the Women Entrepreneurs Rise (WeRise) Network.
The Network is an initiative designed to drive women’s business to the next level through collaboration, transforming Ghana through sustained investment in and support to women’s economic empowerment.
WeRise will build ecosystems in support of women’s entrepreneurship.
Mr Alan Kyerematen, the Minister of Trade and Industry, speaking at the official opening of the 3rd Biennial Ghana Women Entrepreneurship Summit (GWES) and launch of WeRise commended the partnership between the Mastercard Foundation and GEA in advancing women’s economic empowerment.
The 2022 Summit was on the theme: “Breaking Barriers, Accelerating Women-Owned Businesses.”
He said it was worth noting that the WeRise Network was being launched at a most opportune time, when the President had made the pursuit of massive entrepreneurship development, through the YouStart Programme, a top priority for Job Creation, especially among the Youth.
The Minister said harnessing the benefits of initiatives would no doubt help accelerate Ghanas economic recovery, post-COVID, and make it more inclusive of the contribution of women and youth.
“Business Networks have become even more important in contemporary times, where peer learning, information sharing, mentorship can help women build resilience in their businesses,” he added.
He said women entrepreneurs working together would improve not just the quality and scale of their businesses but also be able to monitor market trends, tackle regulatory obstacles and anticipate changes.
The Minister said even more importantly, being part of a networking platform dedicated to addressing the specific needs of women should enable members harness the power of their collective voice to convincingly, forcefully and more systematically advocate for the removal of all barriers to entrepreneurship.
“It is for this reason that the establishment of the WeRise Network is a step in the right direction at the right time,” he said.
Mrs Kosi Yankey-Ayeh, the Chief Executive of GEA, said the barriers women entrepreneurs face were complex and required a network of solutions, including technology innovations that would ensure that women-led enterprises were fit for the 21st century.
She said WeRise would also encourage and support existing national Small Medium Enterprises, relevant Associations and key partner networks to access knowledge, finance, technological innovations and mentorships for women entrepreneurs to successfully compete and thrive in the domestic and global markets.
The CEO said role models were important in supporting women’s advancement, so there was a need to develop stronger networks, role models and mentors for women entrepreneurs.
She said the deliberations would contribute to strengthening the message that gender equality and women’s economic empowerment were the most important undertaking for our societies, economies and the international community as we enter a new and defining time for sustainable and inclusive development.
Mrs Yankey-Ayeh said women’s economic empowerment was one of the world’s most promising areas of investment, biggest emerging market, and talent pools yet to be tapped.
She appealed to all, especially, women organizations, trade associations, development partners, and the diplomatic community to lend a helping to the She Hub Ghana and the WeRise Network to fulfil their aspiration of supporting women’s economic empowerment activities in Ghana.
“As the lead Agency in Ghana, we will throw our wait behind them because part of our mandate is to support the formation and growth of MSMEs and Local Business Associations, especially those that promote the development and growth of MSMEs, particularly those owned by women in Ghana,” she added.
Source: Ghana News Agency
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