The 2025 Volta Women Entrepreneurs’ Forum opened with renewed vigour and a collective commitment to positioning women at the forefront of the region’s drive toward a modern, globally competitive economy.
The event, held in Ho, brought together queenmothers, policymakers, development partners, business executives, and hundreds of female entrepreneurs under the theme “Empowering Volta Women Entrepreneurs for Global Partnerships and a Thriving 24-Hour Economy.”
The forum served as a strategic platform for building partnerships, strengthening women-led enterprises, and celebrating the resilience that defines Volta’s female entrepreneurial community.
The Volta Regional Minister, James Gunu, underscored the central role of women in shaping local economies. He described women entrepreneurs as “the quiet engines of growth,” contributing significantly as traders, agripreneurs, artisans, digital innovators and community leaders.
While acknowledging the region’s abundant talent, he emphasised the need for improved access to financing, digital tools, and global partnerships.
Mr Gunu reaffirmed the region’s alignment with President John Dramani Mahama’s national vision for women’s economic empowerment, highlighting ongoing efforts to support women through digital integration, a 24-hour economy framework, and inclusive business policies.
Special Guest of Honour and former Deputy Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Benita Sena Okity-Duah, lauded the industrious spirit of Volta women while drawing attention to systemic limitations that hinder growth. She outlined government interventions such as the Women’s Bank Initiative, the GEA Women Support Fund, MASLOC’s priority lending, and youth entrepreneurship programmes like NEIP Adwumawura and YouStart, all designed to provide low-interest loans, remove collateral burdens, advance digital literacy, and support young women in business.
“When women thrive, nations flourish,” she said, urging entrepreneurs to embrace technology and build cross-border partnerships.
Queenmother of Kpando Gadza, Mama Kodzogasi II, called for unity and collaboration among women, stressing that global economic trends increasingly favour digitally skilled and globally connected entrepreneurs. She encouraged participants to scale up their businesses, enter international markets, and embrace the opportunities of a 24-hour economy. Her remarks highlighted the importance of local manufacturing, innovation, and queenmother-led support networks in advancing regional development.
Representing Municipal, Metropolitan and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) in the region, North Tongu DCE Victoria Yawa Amefadzi Doe reaffirmed local government commitment to providing supportive policies for women entrepreneurs. She emphasised formalisation of businesses, enhanced digital literacy, and capacity-building as essential foundations for sustainable enterprise growth. In a compelling presentation, she used practical legal examples to warn against the dangers of undocumented transactions.
Adding a legal perspective, Mama Bobi III, Afetornyornufia of Ho Bankoe and a High Court Judge, provided deeper insights into how informal practices expose entrepreneurs to avoidable risk. She highlighted cases involving verbal agreements, unrecorded contracts, and ethical breaches, underscoring the importance of proper record-keeping, business registration, and legally sound transactions. Her examples reinforced the forum’s broader message: professionalism, documentation, and ethical conduct are crucial for success in a global digital economy.
The presence of prominent queenmothers symbolised the growing partnership between cultural leadership and economic transformation. They were celebrated for their role in championing women’s education, mentoring young entrepreneurs, bridging generational gaps, and driving community development initiatives across the region.
Throughout the forum, speakers encouraged women to seize emerging opportunities, participate actively in the 24-hour economy, and build global networks. Participants were urged to leverage digital tools, formalise their enterprises, seek international partners, and dream beyond local limitations.
By: Daniel Orlando/newsalertgh.com
