As the world races against time to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal, SDG 5 on Gender Equality by 2030, the Navrongo- Bolgatanga Catholic Diocesan Office (NABOCADO), is advocating the economic empowerment of women, especially in less-resourced regions and communities in a bid to give them a voice in decision making.
SDG 5 is a goal focused on achieving real sustained gender equality in all aspects of women and girls’ lives which includes ending gender disparities, eliminating violence against women and girls, and securing equal participation and involvement in decision-making and leadership.
But this in the view of NABOCADO can only be achieved if women are economically empowered and positioned to have a say in solving household and communal issues.
To achieve this, the diocesan office is building the capacity of women in Shea butter, rice, and Dawadawa processing with an emphasis on quality and reducing wastage.
NABOCADO is also engaging farmers largely women, to bring out indigenous and innovative ways of organically improving crop yield and preserving food.
The office has equally set up village savings and loans groups to promote self-generation of revenue to boost their businesses and is partnering with Toende Rural Bank in the Upper East Region where the office has injected seed capital for the women groups to have access to soft loans to expand their businesses.
These initiatives by NABOCADO have seen over 4700 women from the Upper East and North East Regions benefit.
Speaking in an interview with Dreamz News as part of the International Women’s Day marked on. March 8, 2023, with emphasis on embracing equity, Gender Coordinator for NABOCADO, Patience Akankpanab said the economic empowerment of women remains key to achieving equity.
“When you engage the women at the community level, you see that most women lack the resources to be able to engage in anything or take care of their families. When women are empowered, they are able to make a meaningful contribution to the household or community development.
When she is empowered, she will be able to add her voice so I will say that empowering women is critical to getting women actively taking part in decision making”
She continued, stating “NABOCADO cannot do it alone and will urge even parents to start with their young girls by training them to grow to be self-sufficient,” she stressed.
