The Cocoa Hubs Project, implemented by Fairtrade Africa, is taking steps to advance gender mainstreaming in rural agricultural service delivery by strengthening women’s participation and leadership across cocoa-growing regions in Ghana.
As part of this initiative, Fairtrade Africa, in partnership with Tropenbos Ghana and with funding support from the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, recently organized a capacity-building training on gender mainstreaming in Goaso, Ahafo Region.
The workshop convened female representatives from participating Rural Service Centers (RSCs) to deepen their understanding of gender equality, inclusive leadership, and effective participation in decision-making and service delivery.
Through interactive sessions, participants examined societal gender roles, systemic barriers to women’s inclusion, leadership opportunities, and practical strategies for embedding gender-sensitive considerations into RSC governance, daily operations, and service provision.
Salma Suhuyini Fuseini, Project Coordinator for Fairtrade Africa, highlighting the project’s goals to JoyNews, stated that the Cocoa Hubs Project currently supports 21 Rural Service Centers across six key cocoa-producing regions in Ghana.
The goal is to transform these hubs into sustainable, commercially viable, and inclusive service providers.
She emphasized that the training aligns with the project’s commitment to ensuring women and youth are not merely passive recipients of agricultural interventions, but drivers of leadership, entrepreneurship, and economic growth.
“Ultimately, the project seeks to build a more inclusive cocoa sector where women have equitable opportunities to lead, access essential services, and benefit economically from the entire cocoa value chain,” the Project Cordinator noted.
Direct beneficiaries of the workshop, including Bertha Akamal and Celina Darko, praised the initiative as a timely intervention that directly addresses gender disparities in rural cocoa communities.
The farmers noted that while RSCs have continuously advocated for women’s empowerment, targeted capacity building is crucial for leveling the playing field for women in agriculture.
Investing in women, they argued, directly boosts farm yields, strengthens rural livelihoods, and expands Ghana’s national food basket and cash crop exports.
They emphasized that female farmers consistently demonstrate prudence, efficiency, and diligence whether applying inputs, managing field operations, or fulfilling loan repayments on schedule.