The Ghana Federation of Forest and Farm Producers (GhaFFaP) have strongly raised issues affecting women in Agriculture and called for help in solving those issues.
Hajia Alima Sagito
At a Press Soiree held at the Silicon Hotel at kentinkrono last week, various member organizations took turns to highlight how issues including land acquisition and tenure, access to credit, labor, access to adequate farm inputs, access to agricultural extension services and domestic roles affected female farmers. Other issues included lack of storage facilities, activities of galamsey operators and lack of alternative livelihood training for majority of the women.
Hajia Alima Sagito, an Executive of the Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana (PFAG) together with other gender representatives of member organizations of GhaFFaP appealed strongly for public and institutional support for female farm producers. They believe strongly that with the right support and changes in societal mindset towards women, there will be massive economic empowerment for women, their families and the nation as a whole.
Kokofu Asokwahemaa Ama Ampomaah Ahwenee
Kokofu Asokwahemaa Ama Ampomaah Ahwenee who represented the Kokofuhene at the event appealed to husbands to support their wives. She stressed that the issues that affect women are dire and required special commitment to resolve. She encouraged women producers to take up alternative livelihood skills to support their farm activities.
The Ghana Federation of Forest and Farm Producers (GhaFFaP) is a national federation of Forest and Farm Producer Organizations (FFPOs) drawn from three ecological zones of Ghana-the Savannah, transition and forest ecological zones -for promoting the interest of forest and farm producers in Ghana.
GhaFFaP has a membership of 167,837 across the various ecological zones comprising 72,949 women (44%), 94,788 men (56%) and 33,691 youth forest and farm producers (20%).
GhaFFaP member organizations include the Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana (PFAG), Kuapa Kokoo Farmers and Marketing Union (KKFU), Abrono Organic Farmers Association (ABOFA), Zuuri Organic Vegetable Farmers Association (ZOVFA), Achichire-Sureso Pebaseman Community Resource Management Area (ASP CREMA), Kookoo Pa Farmers Association (KKFA), Kattetaah Maali Lanbuure (KAMALA), Tuna Women Development Programme (TUWODEP), Community Action in Development and Research (CADER), Kasena Nankana Baobab Cooperative Union (KANBAOCU) and Tele-bere Village Savings and Loans Association (Tele-bere).
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