Women’s economic empowerment organization, the Network of Women in Growth (NEWIG Ghana), has, through a partnership with the Coca-Cola Foundation, equipped 120 women in the Greater Accra Region with valuable vocational skills.
The training program provided practical skills in mushroom cultivation, soap making, and snail farming. Additionally, participants received training in financial literacy, business management, pension contributions, and managing work-related stress, aiming to enhance their economic independence and sustainability.
This initiative is the first phase of a broader two-year project titled “Economic Inclusion of Marginalised Women Living in Urban Areas,” which is being implemented in Accra, Sekondi-Takoradi, Kumasi, and Tamale.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony, the Executive Director of NEWIG Ghana, Ms. Mawulawoe Awity, acknowledged the significant role of women in Ghana’s economy. “I firmly believe that women are the backbone of Ghana’s economy. The impact of the informal sector on our economy’s growth is evident,” she said.
Ms. Awity highlighted that the funding support from the Coca-Cola Foundation, the organization will implement the skills training in three more urban centers. “We are dedicated to economically empowering women through skills development. This initiative is to equip women with vocational skills and offer them business management and financial literacy education,” she added.
Chairing the ceremony, the Director General of the Ghana TVET Service, Madam Mawusi Nudekor, underscored the importance of certifying individuals who acquire vocational skills. She noted that certification would facilitate formal employment opportunities for trainees and called for greater empowerment of women through TVET.
Madam Nudekor stressed that vocational skills directly benefit women, their families, and communities, contributing to economic strength and poverty reduction in the country.
The Municipal Chief Executive of the Ashaiman Municipal Assembly, Hon. Albert Boakye Okyere, whose municipality hosted the Accra phase of the training, praised the participants and the impact of the training. “Today’s graduation ceremony highlights the need for support for women, particularly the unemployed, in areas of skills training,” he stated.
He commended NEWIG Ghana and the Coca-Cola Foundation for their efforts in empowering marginalized women through this project.
