Stakeholders in the value chain of shea production have been asked to provide the necessary support for women in the industry.
While hundreds of rural women in Northern Ghana are engaged in the industry, their poverty levels have not improved because they earn very little from it despite the high commercial value of the commodity.
Speaking at the first 1st World Shea Expo 2020, Second Lady, Samira Bawumia, advocated for greater support for women in the shea business.
According to statistics provided by the Ghana Export Promotion Authority, GEPA, the country made 64.7 million dollars last year from the production of shea.
Shea butter is a fat extracted from the nut of the shea tree.
It is usually ivory in colour when raw, with more processed versions being white in colour. Shea is mainly grown in the Northern part of the country.
Shea butter, with its natural cream can treat many skin conditions, including blemishes, wrinkles, itching, and other skin conditions.
Speaking at the launch of the 1st World Shea Expo 2020, Samira Bawumia urged various stakeholders to look into the business of shea to boost the country’s revenue while improving the economy.
“Despite these remarkable gains however, there are still challenges that ought to be tackled along the value chain” she said.
Netherlands Ambassador to Ghana, Ron Strikker, called for the promotion of Shea through private, public partnership while pledging his support to women in the Shea business.
“It means that we have to ensure a sustainable shea sector, and we have to promote and foster investment in the sector. We do this by making public, private partnerships to involve the private sector into the efforts to make the sector more professional”, he explained.
Executive Director of National Board for Small Scale Industries (NBSSI), Kosi Yankey said they are committed in providing support for women in the business.