The push comes amid heightened scrutiny of gender disparities in key sectors like agriculture and informal trade, where women dominate but face systemic barriers to resources and financing.

Women constitute 49% of Ghana’s labor force, according to the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS), yet their productivity is hampered by limited access to land, credit, and technology. In agriculture—a sector contributing 20% to GDP and employing 50% female workers—only 10% of women hold formal land titles, per World Bank data, stifling their ability to invest in productivity-boosting tools. Similarly, in the informal trade sector, which accounts for 80% of national employment, women-led micro-businesses struggle to secure loans, with banks often demanding collateral they lack.

“A gender-blind budget perpetuates inequality,” said Dr. Angela Lusigi, UNDP Ghana resident representative. “When women can’t scale farms or businesses due to policy gaps, the entire economy suffers.” A 2019 McKinsey report estimates Ghana could add billions to its GDP by 2025 by closing gender gaps in workforce participation—a goal experts say requires deliberate fiscal interventions.

Gender-responsive budgeting, which audits spending through an equity lens, is gaining traction as a solution. Advocates argue it would channel funds toward initiatives like childcare support, women’s land rights formalization, and low-interest loans for female entrepreneurs—measures critical for unlocking productivity. Such an approach aligns with Ghana’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG5 on gender equality, while addressing post-COVID recovery needs.

The informal sector illustrates the potential payoff. Women like Ama Serwah, a Kumasi-based shea butter producer, typify the challenges: “I employ 20 women, but banks won’t lend to us without property deeds. If the budget helped us formalize, we could export directly, not through middlemen.” Currently, less than 15% of Ghanaian women-owned businesses access formal credit, per GSS.

Political momentum is building. Vice President Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang—Ghana’s first female veep—has publicly backed gender-inclusive policies, raising expectations for the 2025 budget. “Her leadership is pivotal,” said feminist economist Dr. Rose Mensah-Kutin. “But goodwill must translate into line items: subsidies for women farmers, digital training grants, and stronger enforcement of gender laws.”

Critics, however, warn of implementation hurdles. Past initiatives, like the Women’s Ministry’s livelihood programs, have been hobbled by underfunding and poor coordination. The 2023 budget allocated less than 1% to gender-specific projects, despite women bearing the brunt of inflation and unemployment.

Proponents stress that equity-driven budgeting isn’t charity but economic strategy. The African Development Bank notes that closing Ghana’s agricultural gender gap alone could lift 238,000 people from poverty. Meanwhile, Ghana’s National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (NEIP) reports that women-led startups it funded in 2022 had a 25% higher survival rate than the national average—proof, supporters say, of what targeted investment can achieve.

As Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta prepares the 2025 fiscal plan, civil society groups demand concrete steps: gender audits of past budgets, clear metrics for women’s economic inclusion, and partnerships with fintechs to expand rural access to microloans. With women’s unpaid care work still unaccounted for in GDP calculations, activists argue fiscal reforms must also redefine “productivity” to reflect realities on the ground.

“This isn’t about ticking boxes,” said feminist advocate Felicia Tettey. “It’s about recognizing that Ghana’s economy cannot thrive if half its population is shackled by outdated policies.” As global markets watch, the pressure is on Accra to turn rhetoric into resourcing—or risk leaving growth on the table.