The proposed establishment of the Women Bank, one of the economic policies in the National Democratic Congress’s (NDC) manifesto, has been greeted with divergent views among market women, entrepreneurs, and petty traders in the Sunyani Municipality.

Since the launch of the manifesto in August this year, former President John Dramani Mahama, the Election 2024 flagbearer of the NDC and his running mate, Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang have touted the establishment of the Bank to address the challenges female entrepreneurs face in accessing loans from financial institutions.

In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on their opinions about the proposed Bank, some women engaged in hawking, petty trading, and entrepreneurship at the Sunyani Central Business District (CBD) welcomed the idea, describing the policy as a good intervention.

However, other market women at the Sunyani main market questioned the reality of the policy, and therefore, called on the NDC to come clear, and explain to Ghanaians how an NDC government could do that considering the economic situation in the country now.

Describing the policy as one of the political gimmicks, some of the market women said they were fed up with the numerous campaign promises that had taken centre stage in the electioneering.

“For me, I just listen to them. If the NDC has anything good to offer us, they would have done that many years back, not at this time that our economy looks bleak,” a trader, Joyce Anima stated.

Another trader and hawker, Esi Araba, also lauded the policy, saying the establishment of such a designated bank would greatly empower businesswomen, entrepreneurs, and market women to expand their economic activities.

She, however, expressed the fear that it would be difficult for some women in petty trading and hawking who needed such financial assistance to access the bank because of their social and financial status.

Madam Cecelia Foriwaa, a seamstress, also welcomed the NDC policy and prayed that successive governments would empower women financially to set up or expand their businesses and support the upkeep of their families.

“I need only GH¢1,000 to expand my tiger nuts and groundnut business. We need financial assistance, and the government must come to our aid,” a tiger nuts seller around the COCOBOD building stated.