Women Empowerment

When women and girls are expected to remain in the home, perform all domestic work, and defer to parents, male relatives, and husbands on important decisions, they cannot participate freely in the economy or fulfill their aspirations. Women are also disproportionately affected by intimate partner violence, sexual exploitation, and forced labor, which further challenge their physical, mental, and emotional well-being and limit their participation in the broader society.

Women’s empowerment is at the core of the Lineenbaal Women Association’s (LiWA’s) mission to alleviate poverty. By elevating opportunities for women, designing products specifically for women, and partnering with organizations focused on women’s equality, LiWA is empowering women in rural communities in Ghana.

The eradication of poverty, the achievement of gender equality, and inclusive economic growth can all be achieved through making investments in women’s empowerment, whether in businesses, on farms, as entrepreneurs or employees, or by doing unpaid care work at home.

Through education, entrepreneurship, vocational training, and scholarships, we equip women with the knowledge and skills to earn an income and break into higher-paid employment sectors. We focus on supporting women to access financial services, participate in dignified work, and thrive as entrepreneurs and small-scale producers. Through an emphasis on economic justice, we are committed to changing the discriminatory social norms and economic structures, laws, policies, and practices that marginalize women.

In the workplace, we address constraints faced by women entrepreneurs by providing networking opportunities, mentoring, access to information and credit, and business management training. Working alongside other local partners, we foster environments where women can advocate for improved policies.

Lineenbaal Women’s Association (LiWA) works with economically marginalized women who have no or limited access to and control over economic rights, resources, and opportunities. We work with workers, entrepreneurs, and small-scale producers, as well as Village Savings and Loans Association (VSLA) members.

We also support programs aimed at increasing women’s earning power and ability to control their own income. Women farmers comprise about half of the agricultural labor force in Ghana, but they struggle to earn a fair income. Our partners help them connect with markets, increase their earnings, and make financial decisions. We also test and evaluate the most effective ways to expand women’s financial inclusion so they can have access to the tools and services they need to manage their money.