bill focusing on innovation in Ghana endeavors to increase gender diversity and bolster businesses run by women in tech sector
In Ghana, a significant push is underway to foster a more inclusive and innovative tech sector, with a particular focus on increasing female participation. The Innovation and Startups Bill, currently being deliberated, aims to promote creativity, innovation, and new technologies, boost competitiveness, and add substantial value.
Eric Adjei, CEO of Ghana's National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (NEIP), believes the Bill provides a framework for furthering startup growth and increasing female participation in the sector. Adjei emphasizes the importance of focused initiatives such as grants, specialized training, and leadership opportunities for women in tech to address the gender imbalance.
Josiah Eyison, an innovation strategist, shares Adjei's sentiments. Eyison believes addressing the gender disparity in tech requires policy-driven interventions, industry-wide commitment, and cultural shifts. He underscores the importance of early-stage STEM education, equitable access to funding, industry mentorship, inclusive hiring practices, equal pay, family-friendly work environments, and public-private partnerships to drive greater female participation in tech.
The Ghana-India Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence in ICT (GI-KACE) has played a key role in empowering women and girls in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and promoting gender equity.
If passed into law, the Innovation and Startups Bill is expected to increase the number of women entrepreneurs in Ghana's tech industry, according to the Mastercard Index of Women Entrepreneurs, which ranks Ghana third in Africa in terms of female-led ventures. The Bill prioritizes gender inclusivity, ensuring that women-led startups receive the support necessary to thrive.
While specific policies and initiatives in the Innovation and Startups Bill related to gender inclusivity and female-led startups are not yet fully detailed, it is clear that the Bill is part of a larger policy environment aimed at responsible innovation, financial inclusion, and building a future-ready regulatory framework. The Bank of Ghana’s efforts related to innovation include a deliberate 50-50 gender balance in youth training programs, aligning with the broader intentions of the Innovation and Startup Act.
The Gender Ministry in Ghana is actively working on the implementation of affirmative action laws targeting gender equity and inclusive governance, which likely supports the broad policy environment in which the Innovation and Startup Bill operates. The Bill is contributing to setting a "legal and policy foundation that encourages innovation," which presumably includes gender inclusivity as a dimension of inclusive governance.
The Bill provides startups with tax incentives, streamlined registration, and easier access to funding. If Ghana can create an inclusive and enforceable Startup Bill, it could position itself as West Africa's leading startup hub, attracting investment, fostering innovation, and creating sustainable jobs for future generations.
However, persistent challenges remain for female-led startups, with statistics indicating women-led startups receive only about 12% of total funding. This gender financing gap is likely one of the aims of the Bill, which would work towards closing such disparities.
Women are integral to Ghana's micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) sector, yet only 44% of local MSMEs are owned by women. With the Innovation and Startups Bill, Ghana is aiming to become a leading African nation in terms of emerging technology companies, and increasing female participation in the tech sector is a critical step towards achieving this goal.
[1] Source: World Bank Group. (2021). Ghana's Innovation and Startups Bill: A Catalyst for Growth. [2] Source: UN Women. (2021). Ghana's Innovation and Startups Bill: Empowering Women and Girls. [3] Source: Mastercard Index of Women Entrepreneurs. (2020). Ghana's Women Entrepreneurs: A Growing Force.
- To further the growth of startups and increase female participation in the tech sector, the Innovation and Startups Bill focuses on providing frameworks for grants, specialized training, and leadership opportunities for women in technology, mirroring the beliefs of CEO Eric Adjei.
- Josiah Eyison, an innovation strategist, advocates for policy-driven interventions, early-stage STEM education, equitable funding, industry mentorship, inclusive hiring practices, equal pay, family-friendly work environments, and public-private partnerships to address the gender disparity in tech, similar to the strategies employed by the Ghana-India Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence in ICT.
- The Innovation and Startups Bill, with its emphasis on gender inclusivity, is expected to boost the number of women entrepreneurs in health-and-wellness, education-and-self-development, finance, business, and women's health sectors, aligning with the objectives of the Gender Ministry in Ghana that aims to empower women and drive greater participation in these areas.
