Stakeholders Call for Greater Recognition and Opportunities for Women in Key Sectors

As the world commemorates International Women’s Day, stakeholders are calling for increased recognition and expanded opportunities for women in critical sectors of Ghana’s economy.

The Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, Emelia Arthur, says women remain the backbone of Ghana’s fisheries industry, particularly in coastal communities where their contributions span the entire post-harvest value chain, emphasizing the vital role they play in sustaining livelihoods and driving national development.

According to her, women dominate fish processing, trading, and even financing fishing expeditions, making them indispensable to the sustainability of the sector and the wellbeing of families and communities.

“In the southern coastal communities, women form the backbone of the industry. They process the fish, they trade the fish, and they finance fishing expeditions,” she said.

Mrs. Arthur explained that the fisheries sector is crucial to Ghana’s food security, noting that fish accounts for about 60 percent of the country’s animal protein consumption.

She further indicated that nearly 10 percent of Ghana’s population—about three million people—depend on the fisheries value chain for their livelihoods.

“So who is holding us together? The woman,” she stressed. “More than 80 percent of post-harvest fisheries activities in Ghana are carried out by women.”

Despite their enormous contribution, she said women in the sector have historically received little recognition and limited opportunities to expand their work and influence.

“Yet for many years, their contributions were often invisible and undervalued. But when we invest in women, something remarkable happens—household incomes improve, food security strengthens, and communities become more resilient,” she added.

Meanwhile, the Managing Director of the Ghana Airports Company Limited, Yvonne Nana Afriyie Opare, highlighted similar gender disparities in the aviation industry.

She noted that although aviation remains largely male-dominated, some progress is being made in promoting women into leadership roles.

“The aviation industry is mostly male-dominated, but we are making some headway, with at least the managing director being a woman and a few female executives as well,” she said.

However, she acknowledged that women remain underrepresented and encouraged more women to pursue higher education and professional development.

“I believe that with these programmes and by encouraging women to educate themselves and level up in terms of what they can do in society, we will be able to get more women to rise to the top,” she stated.