MINISTER OF TRADE & INDUSTRY LAUNCHES AWEP GHANA

December 7, 2011

Ambassador Donald Teitelbaum addressing participants during the launch. On his immediate left is the Trade Minister Ms. Hannah Tetteh.

Minister of Trade and Industry Hannah Tetteh launched the African Women Entrepreneurship Program Ghana Chapter (AWEP) at a ceremony in Accra on Wednesday, December 7, 2011. USAID West Africa Trade Hub Director Vanessa Adams shared her experiences working to expand trade opportunities with Ghanaians and other West African entrepreneurs.

AWEP is an initiative by the U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to empower women entrepreneurs in Africa to access the favorable terms of trade under the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) launched by President Clinton in 2000.

Ambassador Donald Teitelbaum emphasized that in this era of huge global competition and dynamic business environment, women’s issues and economic sustainability are not only issues of concern to women but are also important for men.  Any country that allows almost half of its population to be handicapped women’s exclusion from the business landscape could suffer serious consequences. He noted that AWEP was a significant step by the U.S government to provide various forms of support to sustain initiatives to empower African women entrepreneurs.

The Chairperson of AWEP Ghana and a member of the Ghana – U.S Department of State Alumni Association, Comfort Adjahoe-Jennings called on government, development agencies and the private sector to partner with the group to support women-oriented economic ventures. She particularly emphasized the need to explore funding opportunities to promote women entrepreneurship in the country.