_Posted by Daily Newsflash-GH | 29th September, 2026 | Koforidua_
The Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), through its Women in Agricultural Development Directorate (WIAD), in collaboration with the Centre for Agriculture and Biosciences International (CABI), has held a multistakeholder forum in Koforidua to promote equitable access to agricultural extension services, particularly for women farmers.
The forum — the *Gender and Rural Advisory Services (GRAS) Assessment Validation Workshop and the Fifth GRAS Forum* — was held from *September 23 to 25, 2026*, and brought together stakeholders from MoFA, development partners, extension officers and farmer groups.
The meeting sought to review and strengthen the GRAS Assessment Report and chart a sustainable path towards institutionalising gender-responsive advisory services under MoFA-WIAD beyond CABI’s PlantwisePlus programme support.
*Why It Matters*
Available data indicates that women constitute about *52 percent of Ghana’s agricultural labour force*, yet only a small proportion have access to extension and advisory services needed to improve productivity.
The disparity has been attributed to long-standing social norms, limited access to land and credit, and traditional practices that restrict women’s access to critical agricultural information.
Speaking at the forum, Mr Solomon Agyeman Duah, Communication Specialist at CABI West Africa, said the GRAS initiative emerged from the CABI Plantwise programme after identifying gender gaps in farmers’ access to advisory services.
The forum reflected on progress made since 2022, shared lessons and good practices, and agreed on practical measures to sustain the GRAS agenda. Key achievements highlighted include increased participation of women in training and digital advisory services, establishment of a gender technical working group within MoFA, and use of interactive radio and community dialogues to shift social norms.
CABI says the goal is to transition full ownership and management of GRAS to a national public institution as its PlantwisePlus programme phases out. 7c51
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#MoFA #CABI #WIAD #WomenInAgriculture #GenderAndAgriculture #PlantwisePlus #GRASForum #Koforidua #ExtensionServices #WomenFarmers #GhanaAgriculture #DailyNewsflashGH
