Assistant Secretary of State, Marie Royce (second from left) with U.S. Ambassador to Ghana Stephanie S. Sullivan (first right) after unveiling the logo for the AWE
About 2000 Ghanaian women entrepreneurs have been given the opportunity to benefit from a skills development and support programme following the launch of the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) in Ghana.
The initiative by the U.S.
State Department’s Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs (ECA) is designed
to empower Ghanaian women entrepreneurs to fulfill their economic potential,
and in doing so create conditions for stability, security and prosperity for
all.
Through the Young African
Leaders Initiative (YALI) Regional Leadership Centre in Accra, the AWE would
promote collective economic prosperity and stability by creating a holistic and
inclusive learning community to advance the development of women with brilliant
ideas into successful entrepreneurs.
Officially launching the
pilot programme at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration
(GIMPA), Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs, Marie
Royce, said the programme would provide a new educational opportunity for
aspiring female entrepreneurs.
“AWE is part of the White
House’s Women’s Global Development and Prosperity Initiative which seeks to
reach 50 million women by 2025. Ghana is
one of 10 African countries piloting AWE this year,” she said.
She said societies that
empower women in civic and economic life are more prosperous and more peaceful,
adding that although Africa has only 5 per cent of its CEOs being women, their
positive impact on leadership is clear.
“Businesses in Africa with
women on their boards often have operation profit of over 20 per cent more than
the industry average,” she added.
Madam Royce, therefore,
noted that last year the ECA spent $25 million to reach 150,000 women across
the globe with specific programmes to empower women and girls.
Ms. Shola Safo-Doudu,
Project Lead AWE Ghana, in her remarks, encouraged women to apply for the
programme in order to gain access to online materials which teache women to
create their own business plans, understand how to raise capital, and connect
with networks of successful business owners.
“Through a combination of
facilitated online and in-person learning sessions, AWE participants will
further their business skills, network with mentors, and be guided to put their
business ideas into practice,” she said.
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri
