Ghanaian women follow Burkina Faso in Shea butter initiative
6 Aug 2007
After UNIFEM’s initiative on empowering the women workers and traders in the Shea butter industry in Burkina Faso and turn it into a globally popular ingredient for chocolate and cosmetics industry, its now turn for the UNDP to facilitate the Ghanaian women for the same.
In a recent team up between UNDP and Japan, a project has been approved to bolster female entrepreneurs in Ghana and strengthen the African country’s economy by increasing production of the nut-based fat.
The UNDP-Japan project aims to provide Ghanaian women with the self-confidence to distribute and sell the popular butter -- a project which the local women said has increased shea butter sales, boosted their take-home income and raised the standard of living in their households.
Titled “Empowering Rural Women and Alleviating Poverty by Strengthening the Local Shea Butter Industry in Northern Ghana,” the partnership has proved to be a valuable resource for local women and has increased the quality of life for many Ghanaian families. Because of the shea butter project, the Ghanaian entrepreneurs have learnt to work in groups and acquired skills to improve their productivity.
Mrs. Adisa Lansah Yakubu, the Executive Director of Africa 2000 Network, UNDP’s implementing partner on this project, said shea butter production has typically been a profession for females. It is her hope that with the Japan-UNDP support and intervention and additional support from government, shea butter production will witness new heights as a foreign exchange earner for Ghana.
Japan’s Ambassador to the African Union and Ethiopia, Mr. Kinichi Komano has also expressed his utmost interest in the project and promised to ensure that Japanese business firms came together to exchange experiences and create awareness of the shea butter enterprise.
Resource: www.undp.org
Released on: 6 August 2007
