A programme learning conference has been held to mark the end of the successful completion of the Financial Inclusion and Enterprise Development Project in Accra, with a focus on SMEs, women and vulnerable groups.

This five-year project was funded by the Canadian Government with the objective of increasing access to formal financing, providing business training and networking opportunities for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Ghana, with a focus on women and vulnerable groups.

Contributing to the advancement of women’s rights, gender equality, and empowerment of women in Ghana, this Project increased access to formal financing, created business-to-business linkages and networking opportunities for SMEs in Ghana.

Women entrepreneurs were encouraged to innovate and grow their businesses and deliver results on economic growth.

Presentations on the approach and learnings from this innovative project were delivered by Implementing Partners, Sinapi Aba Savings and Loans, Inc. and Opportunity International Canada.

“SMEs, particularly women led SMEs, face several challenges to start and build a business including unwritten social and cultural norms, lack of awareness about legal rights, lack of economic and training opportunities among other constraints. My expectation is that your deliberations this morning will highlight some of these constraints to inform policy making,” Deputy Director, Banking Supervision Department of the Bank of Ghana, Ismail Adam, remarked.

The conference was attended by several key figures including representatives from the Bank of Ghana, Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Canadian Government, Ministry of Finance, Ghana Association of Savings and Loans Companies, Ghana Microfinance Institutions Network, Association of Financial Non-Governmental Organizations, Ghana Enterprise Agency, Sinapi Aba Savings and Loans, Inc., Opportunity International Canada and Members of the Press.