Women-led MSMEs need targeted support to scale – B&FT CEO

By Christabel DANSO ABEAM

Women-led micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) require more targeted and practical support to transition from survival to scale, Chief Executive Officer of the Business and Financial Times, Dr. Godwin Acquaye, has said.

According to him, although women play a dominant role in key sectors of Ghana’s economy — particularly agriculture and trade — their full potential remains constrained by persistent structural barriers, including limited access to finance, restricted market opportunities, inadequate policy support and capacity gaps.

He stressed that addressing these challenges will be critical to unlocking inclusive and sustainable economic growth, noting that women are not just participants in the economy but drivers of innovation, resilience and productivity.

Dr. Acquaye further called for stronger collaboration among government, financial institutions, the private sector and development partners to develop financing models and support systems that work effectively for women-led businesses.

He emphasised the need to deliberately position women in agribusiness and other sectors as market leaders rather than mere contributors, arguing that scaling women-led enterprises would have a multiplier effect on livelihoods, communities and the broader economy.

“When women-led businesses grow, economies expand; when women lead markets, communities thrive,” he noted, urging stakeholders to move beyond dialogue to actionable solutions that will support growth and competitiveness.

He was speaking at the 2026 Women in Business (WIB) Dialogue Series in Kumasi.

Held under the theme ‘From Market-to-Market Leader: Empowering Women SMEs and Young Women in Agribusiness for Sustainable Growth’, the forum positions women – particularly market traders, smallholder farmers, agro-processors and artisans – as critical drivers of the country’s agrifood economy while confronting the persistent barriers that keep many locked in survival-level operations.

Organised by Business and Financial Times (B&FT) with Ecobank Ghana, the dialogue comes at a time when policymakers increasingly recognise the role of women-led micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in strengthening food security, creating jobs and driving inclusive growth – yet gaps in financing, formalisation and market access continue to constrain expansion.

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