GCYE Launches First-Ever National Young Women Business Summit in Accra

Accra, Ghana – 28 July 2025 | Youth TV Editoria

The Ghana Chamber of Young Entrepreneurs (GCYE) has hosted the inaugural edition of the National Annual Young Women Business Summit in Accra, bringing together more than 250 participants from across Ghana to champion inclusive business for young women entrepreneurs.

Held at the British Council on Monday, the one-day event marked a major milestone in Ghana’s entrepreneurial landscape, spotlighting systemic challenges facing women-led enterprises and proposing practical, policy-driven solutions.

Under the theme “Advancing Inclusive Business for Young Women Entrepreneurs,” the summit was organized as part of GCYE’s Young Female Entrepreneurs Programme (YoFEP). It drew participants from all 16 regions of Ghana, representing sectors such as agribusiness, education, creative industries, health, and technology.

The event featured a distinguished lineup of policymakers, development partners, and private sector leaders. Among them were Ghana’s Minister of Youth Development and Empowerment, Hon. George Opare Addo; Presidential Adviser Mrs. Joyce Bawah Mogtari; and the CEOs of both the National Youth Authority and the Ghana Chamber of Young Entrepreneurs.

Mrs. Mogtari was officially unveiled as Patron of YoFEP, symbolising strong government endorsement of efforts to empower young women entrepreneurs.

“We cannot build a thriving economy when half of our entrepreneurial potential is under-supported,” she said during her keynote address.

Panel discussions explored access to finance, digital inclusion, donor engagement, and media’s role in shifting gender narratives. Major institutions such as UNDP, Stanbic Bank, GIZ, Citi TV, MASLOC, and the Ghana Enterprises Agency contributed to the dialogue.

Breakout sessions focused on financial literacy, branding, formalization, and digital tools—offering hands-on learning for the more than 200 women in attendance.

A business expo was held alongside the summit, showcasing products and services from women-led businesses and facilitating networking with investors and potential partners.

Organizers report that over 180 young women received direct training in digital and business resilience skills, while 12 new institutional partnerships were formed to support women-led MSMEs in Ghana.

GCYE says it intends to formalize the summit as an annual policy platform and expand it to the regional level under a new initiative called “YoFEP on the Road.”

“The summit exceeded our expectations,” said Sherif Ghali, CEO of the Ghana Chamber of Young Entrepreneurs. “We’ve ignited a national conversation, but more importantly, we’ve planted the seeds of change. The visibility, momentum, and commitments generated here will echo far beyond this room.”

GCYE announced plans to establish a Women Entrepreneurs Leadership Council and deepen its collaboration with key funding and technical support agencies such as NEIP, GEA, and the YESS Fund.

The summit also produced a set of actionable policy recommendations—now under stakeholder review—targeting structural reforms around access to finance, digital infrastructure, and the formalization of women-led businesses.

With young women making up more than 90% of the summit’s attendees—many of them first-time entrepreneurs—the event sent a clear message: Ghana’s future economy must be inclusive, innovative, and unapologetically driven by women.