NETRIGHT launches WLFI in Accra
Women’s Leadership for Financial Inclusion and Economic Recovery Initiative (WLFI) has been launched in Accra.
The WLFI, birthed by Network for Women’s Rights in Ghana (NETRIGHT), in partnership with the Graca Machel Trust (GMT) seeks to build and institutionalise a collective of African women leaders as expert women leaders and leading women’s networks.
The networks are expected to influence policy actions that would promote inclusive economic recovery in Africa through women’s financial inclusion.
It would also provide a common and collective space to promote women’s leadership as well as address structural barriers and systemic inequalities that hinder women’s participation and advancement in the financial sector.
The Chief Director, Ministry of Finance, Ms Eva Esselba Mends, said that prioritising the affairs of women was the right thing to do, adding “we know that generally, inclusivity is critical for progress, however, we also know that gender inclusivity is necessary.
Pre-condition for stable and sustained transformation of households.”
She was optimistic that the platform made up of collective expertise and leadership of women practitioners, would drive positive change and advancement within the industry.
“It is my hope that this platform will galvanise our efforts and guide our paths,” she said.
Ms Mends called on organisers of the project to engage all stakeholders to build confidence, trust, firm partnerships and demonstrate commitment.
Head of Secretariat, NETRIGHT, Ms Patricia Blankson-Akakpo, said her outfit works on women’s financial inclusion which focuses on addressing the systematic barriers that hinder women’s access to financial services, resources, and opportunities.
“This includes advocating for gender-responsive policies and legislation and conducting research to identify and address the specific challenges faced by women in accessing and participating in the financial sector,” she said.
She said to ensure inclusiveness, NETRIGHT has committed to championing economic justice and gender equality as fundamental principles of human rights and sustainable development.
Ms Blankson-Akakpo said despite women constituting 50.9 per cent of the population of Ghana, they were underrepresented in leadership roles in all sectors, adding that, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers (2024), nearly half of women in banking were at entry level with only 27 per cent in management.
This disparity in financial inclusion, she said limited women’s ability to save, invest and access credit, hindering their economic empowerment and contributing to broader gender inequalities.
“This lack of female leadership not only perpetuates gender imbalances but also limits diverse perspectives in decision-making processes,” she said.
Ms Blankson-Akakpo said during the mapping of women groups under the project, it was realised that although financial institutions have women groups, they were strictly organisational based.
“Based on the above, it is necessary to have a common platform which would provide a safe space for discourse on financial issues from a gender perspective to contribute to addressing gender gaps within the finance sector pushing for policy actions that promote women’s financial inclusion,” she said.
BY AGNES OPOKU SARPONG
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