Gender Minister pushes for greater economic opportunities for women at 2026 Commonwealth Women’s Forum

The Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, has called for practical interventions to help women expand their businesses, access finance and take greater control of their economic future.

She made the call at the 2026 Commonwealth Women’s Forum in St John’s, Antigua and Barbuda, where she outlined Ghana’s policy measures and experiences in promoting women’s economic empowerment.

Speaking during a session on women’s economic empowerment, which brought together government representatives, private sector players and development partners, Dr Lartey stressed that empowering women economically was essential not only for social development but also for national growth.

“Women do not only take part in institutions, but we also lead,” she said, highlighting the growing role of women in leadership and the need to create more opportunities for their participation in economic activities.

The Minister outlined several policy initiatives Ghana is implementing to strengthen women’s economic participation.

These include the National Gender Policy 2025–2034, the National Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Policy, the National Financial Inclusion and Development Strategy, the National E-Commerce Strategy 2025–2029 and the 24-Hour Economy Policy.

She said these initiatives were supported by the Affirmative Action (Gender Equity) Act, 2024, which provides a legal framework for advancing gender equality.

However, Dr Lartey cautioned that policy commitments must translate into tangible improvements in women’s lives, noting that many Ghanaian women entrepreneurs continue to face challenges despite their significant contribution to the economy.

She identified limited access to finance, the concentration of women-owned businesses in the informal sector and inadequate connections to markets, buyers and investors as some of the barriers restricting business growth.

“Women are earning, but too few are owning and deciding,” she observed.

To address these challenges, the Minister highlighted the importance of business networks that connect women entrepreneurs to mentorship, professional advice, contacts and economic opportunities.

She cited a study in Ghana in which growth-oriented women business owners were placed in carefully selected WhatsApp peer groups for 16 weeks.

The study found that the participating business owners recorded a 21 per cent increase in their monthly profits, demonstrating the potential of peer networks to improve business performance.

The forum also examined practical approaches to creating a more enabling environment for women entrepreneurs, including improved access to finance, technology and markets, as well as stronger business networks.

Dr Lartey’s participation reinforced Ghana’s position on the need to move beyond policy commitments towards practical interventions that enable women to grow their enterprises, access wider markets and exercise greater control over their economic opportunities.