Eighteen women farmers participating in various CARE International Ghana projects, including the Cargill funded "Promoting a Sustainable and Food Secured World Project III" (PROSPER III), the "Cocoa Sustainability Initiative" project (CSI) and the USAID "Agricultural Governance, Resilience and Economic Empowerment" (AGREE) activity were honored during this year's Farmers' Day celebrations. The women, drawn from the above project areas in the Assin South District, Assin Central Municipal, Adansi South, Atwima Mponua District, Bekwai Municipal, Talensi, and the Asikuma-Odoben-Brakwa District Assemblies were recognized for their resilience and dedication to food security in the country.
For their awards, they received certificates, personal protective equipment, cutlasses, bags of fertilizers, and knapsack sprayers as a testament to their contributions within the cocoa-growing communities.Addressing the attendees at the Adansi South Farmer's Day celebration, the Women Economic Empowerment Technical Specialist of the PROSPER III project, Emelia Mahama, praised the dedication of farmers and stakeholders, emphasizing the impact of building women agency in agriculture and enhancing their easy access to productive agricultural resource, highlighting the important role women play in enhancing food production. "This is a testament to the need to build more resilient communities through sustainable farming practices and stronger financial independence of women," she said, attributing these gains to the ongoing collaboration with local and national stakeholders.The PROSPER III Project, implemented since 2016, aims to improve the livelihoods of farmers within the cocoa communities in Western, Western North, Ashanti and Central Regions by providing training in financial literacy, entrepreneurial skills, and access to resources, along with creating Village Savings and Loans Associations (VSLAs) to promote economic resilience.
Through these efforts, CARE International and Cargill have successfully elevated women's leadership in these communities, increasing women's representation in leadership roles from 27% to 60%, and improving their access to financial services by over 40%. One of the awardees, Ms Dorcas Osei, a local farmer and women's leader from one of the PROSPER III project's communities, Bayerebon No. 3, the expressed gratitude for the training and support provided through the project, which has enabled her to lead initiatives that benefit her community. "This project has not only transformed my livelihood but has empowered many women here to make meaningful contributions to our families and communities," she shared. "This recognition encourages us as women to continue to work hard to make farming a profiting venture and attractive for people, especially women to get into". In his remarks, the District Agricultural Director for Atwima Mponua, Mr.
Farouk, praised the honorees, saying, "The awards amplify our recognition to our farmers while also demonstrating our singular commitment to strengthening our agricultural community." He commended CARE International Ghana for supporting women in agriculture, noting, "This will not only uplift them but encourage the entire community."CARE International Ghana has announced plans to hold a special recognition event for these award-wining women farmers in early 2025.