The Ministry of Labour, Jobs and Employment has entered into a partnership with the Women in Action Network (WIAN) to expand formal employment opportunities for women and young people, strengthen local economic development and accelerate the transition of workers from the informal to the formal economy.
The collaboration, formalised through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Accra, is expected to support year-round employment creation across productive value chains while advancing decent work standards in line with Ghana’s labour, employment and industrial development agenda.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, the Minister for Labour, Jobs and Employment, Dr. Rashid Pelpuo, described the agreement as the result of “collective efforts” to build stronger employment systems capable of creating sustainable livelihoods, particularly in Northern Ghana.
He said the MoU provides a framework to expand formal wage employment and development opportunities while strengthening the capacity of local economies to absorb more workers. The partnership, he noted, will facilitate the movement of workers into formal employment systems, promote “continuous year-round jobs” across value chains and improve access to decent work through fair wages, safer working conditions and greater job security.
Pelpuo added that the initiative also seeks to increase the participation of women and young people in productive employment while supporting the implementation of national labour, employment and industrial policies.
The Minister described the objectives of the agreement as “very important,” noting that the signing represents a significant milestone in efforts to strengthen inclusive employment and improve economic opportunities for underserved communities.
Executive Director of the Women in Action Network, Dr. Azeb Tadesse, said the organisation had spent the past five years laying the groundwork for the initiative and viewed the agreement as the beginning of a new implementation phase.
She said the partnership shifts attention from planning to execution through stronger collaboration among stakeholders, with particular emphasis on supporting women operating in the informal economy.
Tadesse added that WIAN will also gather feedback on the quality of jobs created under the initiative to inform future policy interventions and support the expansion of employment opportunities.
She expressed confidence that the partnership would contribute to sustainable job creation, strengthen women’s economic participation and improve livelihoods while supporting broader inclusive economic growth.
The Ministry said the MoU strengthens collaboration between government, civil society and development partners to expand decent work opportunities, promote women’s economic empowerment and advance Ghana’s wider employment and industrial transformation agenda.
