Accra, Ghana, July 25, 2020//-Barriers to women access to careers beyond the traditional homemaker have been broken by education and modernity.
Indeed, Ghana’s economic success story can never be told without the contribution of its hard working women professionals and women entrepreneurs operating in all sectors of the economy.
From Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to large scale enterprises, women entrepreneurs are competing with their male counterparts for businesses.
As estimated by the World Bank, MSMEs contribute about 70 percent of Ghana’s GDP and account for about 92 percent of businesses in Ghana.
Out of these enterprises, 44 percent are owned by women, according to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the United States Government agency which is primarily responsible for administering civilian foreign aid.
Despite these impressive figures, there exist visible gender gaps in women’s economic participation and opportunity. Globally, at the current pace of change, it will take 170 years to close the economic gender gap, according to a 2016 report by the World Economic Forum.
Ghana is ranked 59th out of 144 countries in the 2016 World Economic Forum Gender Gap Report, and 10th out of 25 ranked in the Sub-Saharan Africa region.
Similarly, the United Nations Secretary General’s High-Level Panel (UNHLP) Report on Women’s Economic Empowerment has identified seven key drivers to enable transformation for women.
The report completed in March 2017 laid out a Call for Action to be taken by governments, private sector, civil society and academia to ensure economic gains for women worldwide.
In spite of COVID-19 humidifying the overall outlook in 2020, Ghanaian women have something celebrate. We have more women who have overcome these barriers to leadership and influence decision-making.
African Eye Report celebrates some women who have made it to local, regional and international executive leadership positions in the last five months (from March to July).
Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, first female Running Mate, NDC
She is the first woman to ever receive an appointment to become the running mate to a major political party in Ghana.
Prof Opoku-Agyemang adds a lot of value to the upcoming December election. Her position offers Ghanaian feminists the opportunity to make a reality what they have been advocating for in a long time -a seat at the decision-making table of the country.
If her opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) wins, she will become the first female Vice President of Ghana.
Her records as the first female Vice-chancellor of a public university-University of Cape Coast and former Minister of Education are still fresh in the minds of Ghanaians and non-Ghanaians.
Professor Rita Akosua Dickson, first female Vice-Chancellor, KNUST
The Council of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), at its 258th Special Meeting held on Thursday, June 25, 2020 appointed Professor Rita Akosua Dickson as the Vice-Chancellor of the University.
Her appointment for a Four-Year Term, takes effect from 1st August, 2020 to 31st July, 2024.
Prof Dickson who is a Professor of Pharmacognosy until her appointment was the Pro Vice-Chancellor of the university. She thus becomes the first female Vice-Chancellor of KNUST.
Valentina Mintah, first black female ICC Executive Board Member
Ms Valentina Mintah has become the first black female to be appointed to the International Chamber of Commerce’s (ICC) Executive Board.
The election to the board of the Ghanaian-British technology executive, who is based in Dubai, was announced in late June.
Ms Mintah is the first black female Executive Board member in the 100 year history of the organisation.
Ms Mintah, internationally-recognised for her expertise in trade facilitation and process automation, is the founder and former CEO of West Blue Consulting, an award-winning ICT organisation based in West Africa.
Having established West Blue Consulting in 2012, Ms Mintah led the company to successfully develop and deliver a national single window platform for Nigeria, significantly optimisting and improving trade facilitation in the country, and leading to savings of $25 million per month for the Government of Nigeria.
In 2014, West Blue Consulting further harnessed its customs modernisation expertise to develop and implement a national single window platform for Ghana.
Within two years of its implementation in 2015 at ports across the country, the platform had saved the Government of Ghana $500 million.
Angela Kyerematen-Jimoh, first African and first female IBM’s Regional Head for Africa
Technology giant, IBM Corporation appointed Angela Kyerematen-Jimoh Regional Head for North, East and West Africa.
She is responsible for IBM operations in over 40 countries in Africa including Morocco, Nigeria, Kenya, Senegal, Uganda, Ghana and Tunisia.
Before her appointment, Ms Kyerematen-Jimoh was Chief of Staff to the Senior Vice President in charge of Global Markets and Sales in IBM’s corporate headquarters in New York, U.S.
Ms Kyerematen-Jimoh who was previously Country Manager for Ghana joined IBM in 2011 as Marketing Manager for the West Africa Market Segment and rose through the ranks to become the Strategy Leader for Central East and West Africa.
Prior to joining IBM Ms Kyerematen-Jimoh worked in banking, for UBS Investment Bank & ABN AMRO in London and GT Bank Ghana.
Lucy Quist, Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer for Technology & Operations at Morgan Stanley
Lucy Quist has been appointed Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer for Technology & Operations at Morgan Stanley, an American multinational investment bank and financial services company.
Ms Quist, an international business leader and author of The Bold New Normal, was previously the Managing Director and Head of Change Leadership at Morgan Stanley.
She was recently the Vice President of the FIFA Ghana Football Association (GFA) Normalisation Committee that sanitised football administration in the country.
In 2014, Ms Quist made headlines as the first Ghanaian female to be appointed CEO of a multinational telecoms business.
As CEO of Airtel Ghana (now AirtelTigo), she repositioned the company into the fastest growing telecom business in the country.
Prior to that, she held senior leadership roles with Millicom and Vodafone both in Ghana and a number of African countries.
Abena Amoah, Deputy MD, Ghana Stock Exchange
Just this July, the Council of the Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE) appointed Abena Amoah as the Deputy Managing Director (MD) of the Exchange.
She is responsible for the operational activities of the GSE, namely, trading and surveillance, listings and new Products, the Ghana Fixed Income Market and the IT systems of the Exchange.
Ms Amoah also assists the GSE Managing Director in defining and implementing the Exchange’s corporate strategies and plans, among other responsibilities.
She is no stranger to Ghana’s capital markets. Ms Amoah is an accomplished investment banker and capital markets expert who has led many landmark transactions for more than 20 years.
Afia Asantewaa Asare-Kyei, Member of Independent ‘Oversight Board’ for Facebook and Instagram Content
The newly constituted Global Independent ‘Oversight Board’ for Facebook and Instagram Content recently tapped into the expertise of a Ghanaian human rights lawyer, Afia Asantewaa Asare-Kyei.
The Board which is expected to review certain content decisions by Facebook and Instagram and make binding decisions based on respect for freedom of expression and human rights, appointed her as a Board Member.
Ms Asare-Kyei who is also the Program Manager at the Open Society Initiative for West Africa in-charge of Ghana and Senegal as well as South Africa brings her expertise to bear on the Board.
Ms Asare-Kyei works in collaboration with 19 other Members who speak over 27 languages and have diverse professional, cultural, political, and religious backgrounds and viewpoints.
By Masahudu Ankiilu Kunateh, African Eye Report
