On 15 October, MADE and the USAID ADVANCE project jointly hosted the 2019 United Nations International Day of Rural Women (IDRW) at a ceremony held at Zinindo in Gushegu District, Northern Region. The event, held under the theme “Enhancing access to productive resources and inclusive markets for agribusiness growth and empowerment of rural women”, provided MADE and its agribusiness partners with a platform to share experiences, knowledge and lessons learned over the past five years in implementing the market systems development approach.
A total of 11 MADE partners were awarded certificates for their exemplary roles in the development of the agricultural sector in Northern Ghana, and for supporting rural women with agro-inputs such as seeds, fertiliser, mechanisation and farm advisory services to make significant contributions to agriculture and food security.
Chief James Adawina, Managing Director of Adakant Enterprise and a MADE partner who received an award for supporting the women of his community to access land for farming, said, “I choose to support women because when women earn income, the whole society benefits. Women use their income to take care of their children, families and communities. Also, women repay the loans and input credit they access for farming. This makes it easier to do business with women than with men.”
Mary Badu, a female certified tractor operator and trainer at the Damango Agricultural Training College who received an award for excelling in a male dominated field, said, “It was difficult when I started because the men that I was working with discouraged me. They said it was a difficult area and I was not going to succeed. I persisted and here I am today, training both men and women.” She added, “I urge the youth and young girls, in particular, to venture into areas perceived to be reserved for men. What you need is commitment and perseverance.”
