From November 7th to November 10th,2023, Shea Network Ghana (SNG), participated in an End Lab Review Meeting under the System Innovation for Women’s Economic Empowerment (SIWEE), a six-month piloted activity by OXFAM in Ghana in partnership with many CSOs/NGOs including the SNG and sought to uplift women from poverty and other social-norms affecting their economic empowerment.
The meeting was held at the Accra City Hotel, attended by Project Officers from partner organizations, OXFAM staffs, beneficiaries and other stakeholders. It was to review the SIWEE Activity which was piloted in in 2021.
SNG was represented by our Coordinator Alhaji Iddi Zakaria, our M&E Officer Miss Rashida Abdulai, Women and our Cooperative Development Officer Mr. Saani K. Sharifdeen
In his opening remarks Country Director of Oxfam Ghana Mohammed-Anwar Sadat Adam, mentioned that the idea of SIWEE started way back in 2013 as a global initiative to address issues of women economic empowerment of which Ghana was selected out of several other countries and continents. In Ghana the intervention was centered on 3 value chains, Shea, Cocoa and Sorghum value chains.
Three main things informed the design of the SIWEE initiative which are systemic address of barriers, innovative and different from what has been done, and thirdly transformative.
The inception of the initiative took three stages; scanning of the three value chains, implementation and monitoring progress.
On his part, Alhaji Iddi Zakaria, the National Coordinator for Shea Network Ghana, mentioned that as part of the broad plans for the next cycle of SIWEE, mechanization and infrastructure should be giving a priority.
He also suggested that there should be a realignment of the current thinking on access to finance for women instead of risk buying which does not seem to be feasible. There was a peer review where we were put into our previous groups to review activities/plans to determine the way forward.
Some of the primary change agents were also giving the opportunity to share the experiences and benefits of SIWEE to them.
Anita Boateng from the cocoa value chain shared that they had gender trainings and soap making and packaging. They were provided with soap cutting machines to help them mold the soap after production, this is to help shift from the old form of packaging into old cement papers to a modernized way of packaging.
They also went through financial literacy training. As a result of the SIWEE initiative she has been empowered and has contested for and won an election as the women’s rep in one of the unions she belongs to.
Madam Salamatu from Salankpang in the Northern region belongs to the shea value chain and shared that post SIWEE, they have learnt how to pick quality shea nuts and process quality butter. They have also cultivated the habit of saving and unity as a group of women.
The pilot project was launched in October 2021 to deepen public awareness in selected project communities. Subsequently implementation of selected activities for a six-month period commenced. OXFAM was the lead-implementor but worked with four (4) key partners as implementing agencies, and these partners were Mondeleze International, Women in Law and Development (WiLDAF), Tungteiya Women’s Association, Shea Network Ghana (SNG), Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana and Challenges Ghana (CG). These partners share responsibility for the implementation of the project in their operating districts across the selected regions.
SNG implemented its component of the project activities in the Mion District of Northern Region and Jangyili in the North-East Gonja District of the Savannah Region.
Source: www.sheanetworkghana.org/Adam Abdul-Fatawu Wunizoya, Communications Officer