By Francis Ntow, GNA
Accra, Nov. 15, GNA – The Second Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana (BoG), Mrs Matilda Asante Asiedu, has assured stakeholders that the outcomes of the Women’s Inclusion Project (WIP) research would help improve access to finance and enhance the well-being of Ghanaian women through greater financial inclusion.
She said the Central Bank would ensure that findings from the research informed Ghana’s second National Financial Inclusion and Development Strategy (NFIDS) for 2027-2031.
Mrs Asiedu gave the assurance at the two-day close-out conference of the Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE)-Ghana Project in Accra, held on November 10 and 11, where stakeholders examined the impact of government policies on women’s economic participation and well-being.
The WIP research focused on six thematic areas: government policy, resource mobilisation, expenditure, financial inclusion, digitisation, employment, and care work, with particular emphasis on advancing the welfare and economic prospects of women.
Mrs Asiedu noted that the research report had come at a crucial period when Ghana was developing its next financial inclusion strategy, which would incorporate a financial health framework aimed at improving how individuals and households manage resources and withstand economic shocks.
She said the Bank of Ghana, as an adviser to government, would continue to provide policy guidance and regulatory leadership on financial inclusion while drawing on evidence-based recommendations from civil society organisations to strengthen policymaking.
“Every time we go to take decisions at the Monetary Policy Committee, and we fix the monetary policy rate, we do so with the expectation that it will filter through the economy,” she said.
Mrs Asiedu cited the reduction in the monetary policy rate from 28 per cent to 14 per cent as an example of a policy intervention designed to make borrowing more affordable for citizens, particularly women-led businesses.
She referred to findings from the World Bank’s Global Findex Report 2025, which showed that Ghana had made significant progress in access to financial services, with account ownership reaching 81.2 per cent, compared with an average of about 68 per cent across Africa.
However, she stressed that access to financial services should not be viewed as an end in itself.
According to her, the focus must now shift towards ensuring meaningful use of financial services to support personal development, business growth, community advancement, and broader economic transformation.
Mrs Asiedu said Ghana’s national conversation on financial inclusion was increasingly moving beyond access to issues of effective usage and financial health.
She commended the Women’s Inclusion Project for highlighting the transformative impact of women’s economic empowerment on families and communities.
“This research shows that when women do well, they return more than half of their revenues and benefits to their families. With women making up half of the nation’s population, empowering them economically and financially will bring ripple benefits for all Ghanaians,” she stated.
Mrs Asiedu urged participants to reflect on the evidence presented by the research and use it to shape discussions and policy interventions aimed at improving the lives of Ghanaian women.
She reaffirmed the Bank of Ghana’s commitment to supporting initiatives that promote women’s economic empowerment and financial inclusion.
GNA
Edited by Lydia Kukua Asamoah
Reporter: Francis Ntow
Email: [email protected]