Women in Maritime marks International Day
Women in Maritime marks International Day.
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) recently organized a significant forum aimed at empowering women-led small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the maritime and trade sectors.
This event also served to commemorate the International Day for Women in Maritime, Logistics, and Trade, observed annually on May 18.
The forum was part of the Feed the Future Ghana Trade and Investment (GTI) activity and was held in collaboration with the Women in International Shipping and Trading Association (WISTA)-Ghana, marking 50 years of WISTA International and 14 years of WISTA-Ghana.
Themed “Empowering women-led Small and Medium-sized Enterprises through trade: strategies for growth,” the event brought together 120 women-owned business leaders and women from the maritime industry.
This gathering provided a platform for participants to exchange strategies and lessons learned aimed at business expansion and empowerment in the trade sector through collaboration, professional development initiatives, and advocacy.
Gertrude Ohene-Asienim, President of WISTA-Ghana, highlighted the association’s goal to educate participants on best practices for improving their businesses.
Key topics included the use of digital tools, understanding regulatory frameworks for exporting and importing goods, and accessing financial resources.
Ohene-Asienim emphasized the importance of women business owners adopting technology, acquiring necessary skills, identifying appropriate markets, and collaborating with foreign partners to scale their businesses to a global audience.
She stressed the need for women to understand secure payment methods to avoid fraud, utilize appropriate digital platforms, and access funding effectively.
Mabel Asi Sagoe, Chief Director of the Ministry of Transport, underscored the conference’s timeliness, noting that it
brought fresh perspectives, creativity, and resilience essential for driving innovation, job creation, and economic growth.
She emphasized that challenges like climate change, technological advancements, and geopolitical tensions demand innovative solutions and collaborative efforts, where women’s wisdom, expertise, and leadership are indispensable.
Sagoe urged participants to continuously build their capacity to tackle challenges such as limited access to finance and markets, entrenched gender bias, and cultural barriers that hinder the growth of their enterprises.
Sagoe also highlighted the necessity of concerted efforts from governments, financial institutions, and the private sector to create an enabling environment that fosters women’s entrepreneurship and economic empowerment.
She encouraged participants to inspire one another and leverage the knowledge gained at the conference to propel their businesses forward.
In her remarks, Sagoe congratulated women on their diverse contributions to the growth and development of the maritime and logistics sectors.
Stephanie Donu Sarpong, the Gender, Youth, and Social Inclusion Specialist at GTI, reiterated GTI’s commitment to investing in women and girls, empowering them to assume leadership roles across various sectors.
She noted that GTI had engaged over 14,000 entrepreneurs, with more than 9,000 of them being women.
Sarpong highlighted that 51 women in the maritime industry had received training under the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) initiative on essential topics such as trading procedures, business registration processes, and the utilization of digital tools specific to AfCFTA.
The event underscored the critical role of women in maritime and trade sectors and highlighted the importance of empowering women entrepreneurs.
By providing a platform for knowledge exchange and capacity building, the forum aimed to foster a supportive environment for women-led SMEs to thrive.
Participants left with enhanced skills, new strategies, and a renewed commitment to overcoming barriers and driving growth in their businesses.
In conclusion, the forum organized by USAID in collaboration with WISTA-Ghana not only celebrated the achievements of women in maritime and trade but also provided practical tools and strategies to support their continued success.
By focusing on education, digital adoption, and financial access, the event aimed to empower women entrepreneurs to scale their businesses and contribute significantly to the global market.
This initiative highlights the ongoing need for targeted efforts to support women’s entrepreneurship and economic empowerment in the maritime and trade sectors.
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