France and Ghana’s Gender Ministry explore cooperation on women’s economic empowerment

The French Embassy in Ghana and the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection have initiated talks to enhance collaboration on women's economic empowerment. The focus areas include entrepreneurship, agriculture, and gender-responsive development. French Ambassador to Ghana, Diarra Dime-Labille, led a delegation to meet with the Minister, Dr Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, to explore avenues for cooperation.

Ambassador Dime-Labille highlighted that the discussions aimed to bolster the established relationship between France and Ghana while identifying opportunities for French support to complement the Ministry's goals. She emphasized women's entrepreneurship and agriculture as sectors with significant potential for collaboration, particularly in fostering innovation, ensuring food security, and creating economic opportunities for women.

Furthermore, she expressed keen interest in ongoing programs that support women entrepreneurs and how future initiatives could incorporate stronger gender considerations.

Dr. Lartey acknowledged the importance of the meeting and underscored the necessity of placing gender at the forefront of programs designed to empower women economically. She noted that while gender is a vital cross-cutting concern, it can sometimes be overshadowed by broader sector priorities. In the context of agriculture, where women have traditionally held substantial roles, often informally, Dr. Lartey stressed that Ghana's shift towards more formalized and technology-driven agricultural systems must ensure that women are not left behind.

The Minister reiterated her readiness to collaborate with the French Embassy to ensure that investments in initiatives focused on women yield sustainable outcomes.