NEIP Launches Initiatives To Empower Youth, Women, PWDs

The National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (NEIP) has launched two new initiatives as part of the Ghana Women and Youth Employment and Social Cohesion (GWYESCO) Project. The initiatives, CREATE and EMPOWED, aim to empower young people, women, and persons with disabilities (PWDs) by providing them with practical skills and economic opportunities.

CREATE, launched in Tamale, is focused on developing the digital capabilities of content creators. The program will offer training to improve content quality, strategic communication across digital platforms, personal branding, and professional portfolio development. Ms. Joan Selasie Ahiawordor, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of NEIP, stated that digital platforms are vital for communication, business development, cultural preservation, and social transformation.

EMPOWED, launched in Bolgatanga, will focus on vocational training and business development for women and persons with disabilities. The program will combine technical and vocational education and training (TVET) with business development support, including business planning, customer relations, financial management, and market navigation.

Ms. Ahiawordor emphasized that empowering women and PWDs strengthens households and communities, improves incomes, supports children's education, and creates job opportunities. She stressed the importance of accessibility, dignity, and inclusion in the EMPOWED initiative.

Both initiatives are part of the GWYESCO Project, which operates in seven regions across Ghana: Northern, Savannah, North East, Upper East, Upper West, Eastern, and Central. Ms. Ahiawordor called on traditional authorities, local government leaders, civil society organizations, and implementing partners to support the effective implementation of these programs.

The ultimate measure of the GWYESCO Project's success will be the skills developed, businesses established, jobs created, and livelihoods improved across these regions.