3 Women honoured in Tamale to mark Rural Women’s Day

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), through its Agricultural Development Value Chain Enhancement (ADVANCE) project, has honoured three women as part of activities marking this year's International Day of Rural Women in Tamale.

Those honoured were Salamatu Fuseini, Alice Asekabta and Yacintha Dayor — all smallholder farmers from the Northern, Upper East and Upper West regions, respectively.

Contributions

The women were honoured for their contributions towards enhancing agriculture and rural development and helping to improve food security and the eradication of rural poverty.

They were presented with citations and gifts at the fifth Annual Northern Ghana Pre-Harvest Agribusiness Forum held in Tamale.

The forum, on the theme: "Discovering Opportunities for Expansion,” was aimed at bringing all actors in the rice, maize and soya bean value chain in the Savannah Ecological Zone together to discuss and share their experiences and how to forge new business linkages.

Rural Women's Day

The International Rural Women's Day celebrates rural women and recognises the critical role and contribution of rural women, including indigenous women, in enhancing agricultural and rural development, improving food security and eradicating rural poverty.

It is also to remind society about how much they owe rural women and to give value and credit to their work.

The citation said Madam Dayor was being honoured for her contribution and support as the Group Organiser for the Sawla-Tuna-Kalba Women Association with 125 members, and working closely with the USAID-funded ADVANCE project.

It stated further that, "You have in the last five years organised the group to access agricultural inputs and technical support provided by extension agents of the ministry of Food and Agriculture leading to maize yields from 0.3 metric tonnes to 1.5 metric tonnes, thereby increasing the incomes of the women in the group."

Advocacy skills

It said through her organisational and advocacy skills, and with the support of USAID/ADVANCE and MOFA, 30 women had had access to fertile farmlands close to their homes.

For her part, Madam Salamatu’s citation said she was being honoured for her contribution and support as the leader of the Mangunguim farmer group made up of 30 women and working closely with the USAID/ADVANCE project.

“Your adoption of productivity enhancing technologies on your farm resulted in an increase in maize yields. Your commitment to repaying your credit has earned the recognition of nucleus farmers,” it added.

Madam Asekabta’s citation read, “In liaison with the Buterisa Chief you have mobilised the women to build a CHPS compound which is almost complete."

Commendation

It lauded her for impacting the lives of rural women, especially the 93 members of the Buterisa women's group working with the USAID/ ADVANCE project in the Upper East Region, and for leading 93 members of the group to adopt productivity-enhancing technologies on their farms by hosting a maize hybrid demonstration farm.

“With your initiative, women in Buterisa community are engaged in dry season farming using an abandoned community dam,” it added.