Smallholder Women Farmers Conference Held in Upper East Region

Three representatives from Upper East, Upper West and Brong Ahafo Regions expressing their frustrations

Lack of good roads, transportation, storage facilities, standards of measurement, packaging and labeling and the harassment of Fulani herdsmen are some of the problems bedeviling Smallholder Women Farmers in rural Ghana especially the three northern regions of the country. 

These revelations were made known by some of the women farmers at this year’s Smallholder Women Farmer’s Conference held the Catholic Social Center Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region. It was organized by ActionAid Ghana and its development partners. 

The conference which forms part of activities marking the United Nation’s International Day of Rural Women, was under the theme “Enhancing market access for rural women and local producers Lets end gender-based violence now”. 

The Day is observed on the 15^th of October every year in recognition of the role women play in the support of their communities. 

A cross section of the participants

Smallholder Women Farmers groups from the Upper East, West, Volta, Brong Ahafo and Northern Regions participated. The aim of the conference is to promote climate resilient agriculture, women’s market access and economic empowerment. 

The Smallholder Women Farmers’ Conference is one of the events of ActionAid Ghana that marks the most important national programmers in the women’s rights interventions. 

It underscores commitment to women empowerment, gender parity and equal representation for women in decision making at all levels of development. 

The over one hundred and 17 women at the conference were part of a larger national movement of more than ten thousand smallholder women farmers, processors and women-led businesses drawn from ActionAid operational areas. 

Speaking to Radio Ghana, The Programs coordinator of ActionAid Ghana in charge of Promoting Opportunities for Women Empowerment and Rights, POWER initiative Azumi Mesuna said the conference is also to help address the challenges facing smallholder women farmers SWF in Ghana.

 She indicated that ActionAid Ghana works with people living in poverty and are excluded, especially women, girls and young people towards a vision of just, equitable and sustainable world where every person enjoys the right  to life of dignity, freedom from poverty and all forms of oppression. 

The Programs Officer of ActionAid Ghana Juliet Adam stated that ActionAid works with over thousand smallholder women farmers in their operational areas, the women farmers are not benefiting from the government flagship program, planting for food and Jobs. 

Hon. Frank Fuseini Adongo  Acting Upper East Regional Minister

In his address, the Acting Upper East Regional Minister Hon. Frank Fuseini Adongo indicated that Ghana has about 52 percent of her population being women and those engage in farming; contribute significantly to sustainable  food security in the country. 

He said the crucial role women and girls play in our various households in the communities cannot be quantified yet they suffer disproportionately in the rural areas from multi-dimensional poverty, saying that more needs to be done. 

The Minister stated that that, the government is considering the Social Protection Bill to be worked on. 

He said, the  Ghana National Household Registry GNHR of the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection  has conducted a survey in the region to ascertain the socio-economic status of people especially women who constitute the most vulnerable in the country.

Story by : GBC’s Emmanuel akayeti