Women Make 82.8% of Secured Credit Transactions But Get Only GH¢3.1bn — Bawah Mogtari

Women account for 82.8 per cent of secured credit transactions but receive only GH¢3.1 billion, compared with GH¢19.4 billion for men, according to figures cited by Bawah Mogtari. She has called for financial reforms to close the gap, describing the disparity as evidence of the need for systemic change in the country’s credit and financial systems.

The figures, reported by JoyNews, highlight a striking contradiction: women are actively participating in secured credit transactions at a high rate, yet the value of credit extended to them is far lower than what goes to men. The discrepancy suggests that women are engaging with the financial system but are not receiving a proportionate share of the resources.

Bawah Mogtari’s call for reform points to the structural barriers that limit women’s access to finance, including collateral requirements, cultural norms around asset ownership, and biases in lending practices. These barriers can prevent women from translating their participation into meaningful financial inclusion.

The gap has implications beyond individual borrowers, affecting the ability of women to grow businesses, create jobs, and contribute to national economic development. Closing the gap, advocates argue, is not only a matter of fairness but also of economic efficiency.

Her intervention adds to the growing conversation about gender equality in finance and the need for policies that address the specific challenges women face. Reforms could include targeted credit schemes, changes to collateral rules, and measures to improve financial literacy and access.

The figures also raise questions about how financial institutions assess risk and whether their lending decisions disadvantage women. Addressing these questions will require data, transparency, and a willingness to challenge established practices.

For now, Bawah Mogtari’s call serves as a prompt for policymakers, financial institutions, and civil society to examine the disparity and take action. The goal is a financial system that gives women a fair share of credit and the opportunity to participate fully in the economy.

As the debate continues, attention will be on whether concrete reforms emerge and whether the numbers change in the years ahead. For advocates of financial inclusion, the gap is a problem that can and must be fixed.