By Mohammed Balu
Challu (UWR), Oct. 19, GNA – Women farmers have advocated improved seeds, mechanized farmer tools and planters to ease the burden they go through during farming in providing food for their families and communities.
This was highlighted during a drama display by young girls of Kong at Challu in the Sissala East Municipality, where over 500 women farmers gathered to mark the 2024 International Day of Rural Women under the Harnessing Agriculture Productivity and Prosperity of Youth Programme (HAPPY).
The programme was on the theme: “The role of Rural Women in ensuring food security”.
Madam Beatrice Nortey of Newage Agric Solutions, said the contribution of rural women to food production in the country was enormous and was important to celebrate it to appreciate women’s efforts in agriculture.
Madam Nortey asked all to be committed to promoting the gender inclusiveness of women in their farming activities.
Madam Ama Gyan, Gender, Youth and Social Inclusion Manager, Agri-Impact Limited said 15th October every year is set aside to celebrate and acknowledge the contribution of rural women towards food security globally.
She said Agri-Impact and Mastercard Foundation, through the harnessing agricultural productivity and prosperity for Youth (HAPPY) programme, has empowered young women with jobs through its value chain in rice, soya, tomatoes, and poultry production.
She noted that 362,000 jobs were created in the last four years through agriculture in 14 regions of the country and encouraged the youth between the ages of 15 to 35 years to come on board to reduce Ghana’s import of rice, soya, tomatoes, and poultry into the country as a way of providing jobs in the sector.
Madam Gyan stressed that the HAPPY programme focuses on 70 to 100 per cent women’s participation with attention to persons with disability in the agriculture value chain.
Mr Mahama Salifu, the Sissala East Municipal Director of Agriculture identified agriculture as the main source of employment for most marginalized women in rural Ghana.
He mentioned certain barriers affecting women, such as inadequate access to fertile lands and credit, which hugely affected their prospects.
According to Mr Salifu, improving women’s productive access to technology in ploughing and harvesting could create young women operators to assist men in mechanization.
He has also called for increased support for women in food process and aggregation.
Mr Mohammed Abdul Moomin, the Upper West Regional Director of Ghana Enterprise Agency (GEA), said his outfit would continue to help to promote entrepreneurial skills to the youth in small and medium enterprises that would bring income.
The Chief of Challu, Kuoro Robert Siamui Hillia thanked the organisers for using the programme to support rural women.
The ‘HAPPY’ Programme is implemented through a consortium of eight partners: National Service Scheme (NSS), Ghana CARES (MiDA), NewAge Agric Solutions, Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), Ghana Enterprise Agency (GEA), CRS, Jobberman, and TechnoServe.
GNA