President John Dramani Mahama says Ghana is close to establishing a dedicated Women’s Bank, a long-discussed initiative aimed at expanding access to finance for women entrepreneurs, particularly in underserved northern communities.
Speaking at the launch of the Sheapark Resource Hub Project at the Wa Naa’s Palace in Wa, President Mahama disclosed that preparatory work on the Bank had reached an advanced stage and would soon be presented to Cabinet.
According to the President, Vice President Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, who is spearheading the process, has confirmed that the proposed structure and operational framework of the Women’s Bank are ready for Cabinet review.
The proposed Bank is expected to focus on women-led enterprises, with special attention on sectors where women dominate but remain financially excluded, including the shea industry in northern Ghana.
“In regions like Upper West, the Women’s Bank will deliberately target mothers engaged in the shea value chain,” President Mahama said.
The initiative, championed by Speaker of Parliament Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin and development economist Professor Kwame Addo, forms part of broader efforts to strengthen value addition and productivity within the shea sector.
President Mahama explained that the Bank would provide seasonal micro-credit to women during shea-nut harvesting periods, enabling them to collect nuts more efficiently and safely.
Under the model, cooperatives would be supported to hire tricycles to transport women into harvesting areas and back, reducing the physical burden traditionally borne by women who often carry heavy loads on their heads.
Beyond financing, government has already begun practical interventions to improve safety in the sector. According to the President, 3,000 pairs of Wellington boots and 3,200 gloves have been distributed to women shea pickers in the Upper West Region to protect them from snake and scorpion bites.
He stressed that the Women’s Bank would recognise women not merely as beneficiaries but as key economic actors whose labour sustains the shea industry.
