Female entrepreneurship training: the increase of female owned businesses in Ghana

Did you know Ghana is in the top countries who have the most female entrepreneurs? The Ghanaian government has among others initiated special funds to support female entrepreneurs to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams. Besides funds the country is also supporting entrepreneurial education. And the latter is exactly what the third training module of the Tailor-Made-Training (TMT) that Maastricht School of Management (MSM) is carrying out together with Accra Technical University (ATU) is about, Female Entrepreneurship.

The TMT has the aim to develop ATU staff competences to design a commercial Agri-business course targeted at female entrepreneurs. The first two modules focused on Entrepreneurship & Business start-up skills and Agribusiness value chains whereas this module was all about Female Entrepreneurship. An important topic as women represent a large proportion of agriculture workers, but operate mostly at the lower, less profitable end of value chains.

During the 5-day training among other taboos and prejudices regarding female entrepreneurship were discussed, but also strategies how to promote female entrepreneurs, identifying cross-over opportunities, creating female networks to sustain female entrepreneurs and how to engage in lobbying and advocacy to enhance female entrepreneurship. Furthermore, guest speakers and a company visit were part of the program.

We also had the pleasure to welcome Gladys Ofei from The Netherlands Embassy in Ghana to join the program for a day to see the impact the TMT is making.

Own your own narrative!
This module was highly interactive, and we had the pleasure of having Ruth Wewura Guribie, owner of Sava Shea Company Limited and Cynthia Kaminta of Young at Heart Ghana as guest speakers. Having women who have taken the leap to start their own business share their knowledge and experience, was key for the participants to truly engage with the topic. As the MSM trainer Vin Morar emphasized; “Entrepreneurship happens on the street and not in the classroom”. Which embodied the importance to be able to put theory into practice and hear the stories of women who are working on the development of their own businesses, compared to solely learning theory.

During her presentation, Ruth Guribie emphasized the importance when starting your own business, that you need to own your own narrative, keep your eyes on your goal and be in control.

”Network as much as possible – it is indispensable!" Ruth Guribie

Ruth is the founder of Sava Shea Company Limited in Ghana that creates organic skincare products. Sava Shea was established in 2015 in Ghana to solve the growing need for natural skincare products by producing and distributing high-quality skincare products. The products from Sava Shea’s are made from quality unrefined shea butter and infused with oils and other natural ingredients and handcrafted by rural women in the Northern parts of the country.

Besides providing a guest lecture, Ruth also invited the participants to visit Sava Shea, through which they were able to experience for themselves what Ruth has established.

Promoting entrepreneurship to youth, the future entrepreneurs
Cynthia Kaminta, program manager at the female owned NGO Young at Heart Ghana provided key insights into female entrepreneurship. Young at Heart Ghana is an organization that bridges the gaps in teaching & learning through dynamic recreational spaces. It’s their mission to facilitate great learning experiences by creating cost-efficient hardware, interactive software and context appropriate educational support services. Cynthia shared her knowledge on how schools, such as ATU, can promote entrepreneurship to youth.

The input from Ruth and Cynthia has been indispensable in this module focusing on Female Entrepreneurship. They are changing the face of their industries and creating a social change!

Next training module
The next module as part of this Tailor-Made-Training will be on business training & coaching skills by MSM Senior Lecturer David Cass.

Orange Knowledge Programme
This Tailor-Made-Training is part of the Orange Knowledge Programme (OKP) which is funded by the Netherlands’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs and managed by Nuffic. For more information click here.

MSM's Expert Centre on Emerging Economies
This TMT is part of MSM’s Expert Centre on Emerging Economies. The department is an is an expert centre on local economic development in emerging and developing markets. We capacitate managers and professionals from government, private sector, NGOs, and post-secondary education in Africa, Asia, Middle East, and Latin America. We offer consultancy and customized training programs, and we manage complex projects in key sectors, e.g. water, agriculture and health. For more information click here.