Member of Parliament for Klottey-Korle and a member of Ghana’s delegation to the Pan-African Parliament, Dr. Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, has called for urgent structural reforms to unlock the full potential of African women in agribusiness, trade, and development.

Speaking at the 2025 Pan-African Women’s Day Commemoration on Thursday, July 31, Dr. Agyeman-Rawlings highlighted land ownership as a persistent barrier. She noted that although women do much of the work in agriculture, they often cannot own land, and therefore cannot use it as collateral for loans.

“Ironically, studies show women are more reliable in loan repayments, yet they face the greatest barriers to accessing credit,” she said.

On cross-border trade — where women comprise about 90% of participants — Dr. Agyeman-Rawlings proposed the introduction of female customs and immigration officers at all border posts, to provide both practical support and protection for women traders.

Touching on the issue of reparations, she urged a shift in how the continent frames the conversation.

“We must view the transatlantic slave trade as a conquest; millions were taken as prisoners of war. Reparations should come in tangible forms such as infrastructure, technology, and energy investments that support African development,” she said.

Dr. Agyeman-Rawlings also put forward two key recommendations for promoting women’s empowerment:

1. Visibility of Women Leaders in the Pan-African Parliament

She proposed creating short video profiles of the diverse and accomplished women in the Pan-African Parliament to showcase their achievements and inspire young girls across the continent.

“If they can see it, they can aspire to it,” she said, stressing the importance of representation in shaping ambition and possibility.

2. Supporting Cooperatives

She cautioned against encouraging women to abandon traditional cooperative systems, which often function more organically and efficiently than formal ones.

Instead, she advocated for financial institutions to redesign their models around these organic, community-based systems that already drive local economies.

Dr. Agyeman-Rawlings concluded with a call to recognize and value women’s unpaid labour across the continent.

“We must put a financial value on the unpaid labour of women on the continent to make sure that more women are empowered,” she said.