By Regina Benneh
Sunyani July 10, GNA – Madam Justina Owusu-Banahene, the Bono Regional Minister has commended women in agriculture for their remarkable contributions to the country’s food sufficiency, economic prosperity, and community development.
She observed that despite the notable achievements of women in agriculture they continue to encounter numerous hurdles that impede their progress and prevent them from reaching their full potential.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the sixth annual Women in Food and Agricultural Leadership Training Forum (WOFAGRIC) and the Gold in the Soil Award (GILD) in Sunyani, Madam Justina emphasized the need for a collaborative effort from all stakeholders, including the government, private sector, and civil society, to address the challenges facing women in agriculture.
The event, themed “Breaking down barriers to women’s empowerment in Agriculture: A Collective Responsibility,” aimed to promote gender equality in agriculture and recognize the achievements of women in the sector.
It was jointly organized by the by Agribusiness Foundation and the Bono Regional coordinating council (RCC) and was attended by various stakeholders including representatives from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), RCC, women in agribusiness, media, traditional authorities from across the country to share their experiences and challenges in the industry and to highlight the importance of empowering women in agribusiness and promoting gender equality in agriculture.
Mr. Dennis Abugri Amenga, The Bono Regional director of the Ministry of food and Agriculture (MoFA) announced that approximately 48 percent of the estimated 139,827 farmers in the region were women.
He stated that women in agribusiness play a strategic role in shaping and modeling the nation’s economy adding that women have increased production by 20 to 30 percent and could even achieve more if they had equal access to productive resources like their male counterparts.
Mr. Amenga urged extension service providers and other developmental partners to develop strategies that address the gender gap in farming and improve women’s access to communal land, extension services, and resources to enable women to become more productive and contribute even more significantly to the region’s agricultural success.
Some of the participants expressed joy of being part of the forum and hope to leave the forum feeling empowered and motivated to overcome the barriers that had held them back for so long and also to have a notable change in women’s confidence and self-esteem.
They were hopeful that by working together, stakeholders can help overcome the barriers facing women in agribusiness and unlock their full potential for the benefit of the entire country.
GNA