Girls in agriculture and petty merchants left Kumasi with renewed optimism after a high-level discussion board introduced them face-to-face with banks, insurance coverage suppliers, regulators, and policymakers to deal with long-standing obstacles to monetary inclusion and social safety in Ghana’s casual sector.
The August 7 dialogue, themed “Bridging the Hole: Monetary Inclusion & Social Safety for Casual Sector Employees”, was organised by the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) beneath the Voice Affect and Inclusive Growth (AVID II) undertaking, in partnership with Star Ghana Basis and funded by the Flora and Hewlett Basis.
For a lot of contributors, from farmers in Asesewa to merchants from the Bono and Jap areas, the discussion board offered a uncommon probability to voice issues on to decision-makers and listen to about options tailor-made to their wants.
Prof Alexander Ansah Manu, Government Director of CSJ, stated the occasion was designed to bridge a crucial hole between those that ship monetary and insurance coverage companies and people who battle to entry them.
Chairing the well-attended occasion, he pointed to points comparable to prohibitive collateral necessities for loans, excessive rates of interest that erode earnings, and insurance coverage insurance policies that fail to offer significant cowl after disasters comparable to market fires.
“We’ve introduced these group teams into the identical room with banks, insurance coverage firms, and regulators to allow them to converse straight to at least one one other,” Prof Manu informed the press on the sidelines of the occasion. “Even when nothing else comes of it, we’ve created a platform for mutual understanding and collaboration.”
Members additionally found new alternatives, together with digital platforms and repair suppliers that join farmers to prepared markets for his or her produce, data many contributors on the occasion stated would assist enhance incomes and cut back post-harvest losses.
The Kumasi discussion board is the primary in a collection, with a second regional engagement scheduled for Northern Ghana.
Prisca Ansah, Mission Lead for AVID II, stated the method goes past simply figuring out challenges. It additionally includes securing commitments from policymakers and regulators, then following up to make sure that suggestions from such boards are applied. This, she famous, is how lasting change can take root in addressing the structural points confronted by casual sector employees.
CSJ plans to consolidate the findings from each boards into evidence-based suggestions for policymakers, aiming to affect reforms that make monetary merchandise extra accessible and sensible for casual sector employees.
Ashanti Regional Minister Frank Amoakohene, in remarks delivered on his behalf by Senior Social Growth Officer Godfred Abogo, acknowledged the systemic obstacles confronting casual employees.
He pledged the federal government’s collaboration with microfinance establishments to design reasonably priced, tailor-made monetary options for girls in agriculture and market girls.
For a lot of attendees, the discussion board marked a turning level, not simply within the dialog about casual sector challenges but in addition in the potential for an enduring resolution that displays their lived realities.
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