Women Economists' Meeting

On 27^th March 2021, the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Economic Policy Competence Centre held its maiden Women Economists’ Meeting. The FES EPCC aims at promoting inclusive solutions to socio-economic problems in Sub-Saharan Africa. Thus, poise at improving the visibility, providing a platform for networking and access to policymakers to women economists in Sub-Saharan Africa. Participants for the meeting were from the Kwame Nkrumah, University of Science and Technology, University of Ghana, SD Dombo University of Business and Integrated Development Studies, University of Development Studies, and Ghana Communication Technology University.

The discussions of the meeting centered on the Gender effects of COVID-19 and Gender Responsive Budgeting in Ghana. The meeting revealed that women were adversely affected by COVID-19 in Ghana than men. At the onset of the pandemic, women in Ghana have experienced a higher incidence of unpaid care work, heightened food insecurity, widened poverty gaps, and job losses. As a recommendation, the experts suggested:

• COVID-19 relief packages or in-kind or cash transfer schemes should target more women
• Grants and flexible credit such as delaying loan repayments by women entrepreneurs are recommendable.
• There should be effective stakeholder involvement in the formulation of recovery policies to ensure inclusivity.
• Training be provided for women to improve their skills and capacities.

On Gender-Based Budgeting in Ghana, discussions divulged that it is more rhetorical than a reality. To wit, experts suggested that there was a need for a law to provide legal backing for the implementation of GRB in Ghana. Also, a bottom-up approach to policy formulation and sensitization on gender parity and building the capacity of gender focal persons at the district, municipal, sector ministries were essential to aid in the implementation of GRB.