As we celebrate International Women’s day under the theme “Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world” the Green Economy Ghana Project puts a spotlight on women who are empowering other women and making an impact within the green economy space.
Charlotte Ofobiri, the founder of Byhezz Ventures, started a recycling business that uses waste car tyres to produce furniture and other household products like wall hangings, frames, flower pots and among others.
“ Malaria cases in my neighbourhood were high due to stagnant waters in abandoned car tyres from vulcanizing work. As a result, I decided to research what can be done to help save the environment. Through my research, I realized I could make money out of the used car tyres so I ended up in the recycling business.”
Saddled with household chores that affect her productivity and targets, Charlotte intends to employ other people. She strives to be her own boss and also constantly brings innovation to the market.
Kate, says being at the forefront in promoting inclusive ventures for social change and providing employment for other women gives her the motivation to rise each day with optimism. “My farm is where I get my daily bread and also creates employment for myself and others,” she says.
As the CEO of Kate Obuor ventures, which is a sustainable forestry business, she plays a leading role in advancing a green economy. This does not come without challenges, as a woman, she is faced with issues of gender inequality in access to land. “Land acquisition from family is sometimes difficult. Normally men have the upper hand when it comes to family properties and I’m the last born so, my elder brothers and sisters are also working on the family land, so imagine sharing this land with them, it’s not easy”, she lamented. This does not provide her with security for her work. She hopes that one day access to land will be more equitable and effective. And in Accra, is a woman who runs one of the largest recycling collection organizations in the country’s capital.
Chineyenwa Okoro Onu is a Nigerian born but like to say she is a Ghanaian bred woman. She is conscious of making an impact in the smallest possible ways. She believes that with an intentional attitude of innovation and creative problem-solving, the naturally rich African continent would evolve for the better. As part of finding new solutions and synergies for Africa’s development, she has successfully co-founded and led 3 organizations that build up cohorts of innovation-oriented people one of which is the Waste Or Create Hub; Africa’s First Eco-Innovation Center that brings people together to solve environmental and climate hardest problems.
As a certified Environmentalist, matters of sustainability sit as her topmost priority. She started an organization called ‘The Waste Or Create Hub’ which is an inclusive environmental workforce incubator that focuses on creating and implementing innovative projects towards a sustainable world. She later had an inspiration to launch Africa’s first green commerce platform which seeks to connect conscious consumers to ethical brands and shift the way we’ve lived and shopped for the last century.
“I am not waiting to be invited to the table, every day I make my table and invite other women to become their best version in different fields’’ said Chineyenwa.
Women are doing the most when it comes to environmental sustainability, report indicates that over 65% out of the 428 eco SMEs and MSMEs in Ghana are pioneered by women. In our communities, plastic waste picking is usually done by women. Then it is clear to say that women are doing a lot in environmental sustainability.
What we need the most is to support these women in order to encourage other women to come on board. The future of our environment indeed depends on women, believe it or not.
The Green Economy Ghana Project is working closely with these partners to achieve its set target of empowering young women in Ghana to develop the capacity to access jobs and entrepreneurial opportunities in a growing and inclusive Green Economy through these specific objectives:
a. Empower young people (preferably returnee women) with skills and information to secure their employability in the Sustainable Forestry, Organic Waste Management and Plastic Waste Management sector.
b. Build the entrepreneurial capacity of beneficiaries to own businesses while connecting them with important stakeholders and labour market information.
c. Initiate long term private sector partnership particularly between MSMEs in Ghana and the European private sector.
The Green Economy Ghana project is financed by Archipelago, implemented by Inclusive Business Sweden (IBS)- lead partner, Ghana-Sweden Chamber of Commerce (GSCC), YMCA Ghana, Social Enterprise Ghana (SEG), and the Sweden-West Africa Business Association (SWABA) as an Associate.
