Breaking Barriers: Building Gender Equality in the Cocoa Industry
The cocoa industry is a cornerstone of Ghana’s economy, supporting the livelihoods of millions and contributing significantly to national revenue. Yet, behind the rich aroma of cocoa lies a reality of persistent gender inequalities that continue to hinder progress, particularly for women in the sector. From limited access to land and credit to exclusion from decision-making roles, women who form a significant portion of the cocoa workforce often face systemic barriers that limit their full participation and potential
Recognizing that sustainable development cannot be achieved without gender equality, the GIZ - Sustainable Cocoa Programme (SCP), in partnership with the Gender Desk of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), is taking decisive steps to address these disparities. In view of this, an intensive three-day training on gender mainstreaming for directors and managers of COCOBOD has been successfully organized in Accra, Ghana. The training brought together over 190 directors and managers of COCOBOD, responsible for shaping the policies, programs, and culture of the organization. Significantly, 69% of attendees were men and 31% were women, reflecting a crucial step in engaging all genders in the journey toward equality.
Gender equality: A strategic necessity for the cocoa industry
The Affirmative Action (Gender Equity) Act, 2024 (Act 1121), mandates that at least 30% female representation in decision-making roles by 2026, with the goal of reaching full gender parity by 2034. On behalf of the Deputy Chief Executive in charge of Operations of COCOBOD, Simon Crown, Acting Deputy Director for Research and Development welcomed participants and stated that “Gender equality is not a compliance requirement but a strategic necessity for sustainable cocoa production and resilient communities. Our projects must deliberately reflect the diverse needs, roles, and influence of both women and men in cocoa communities.“
The training is a strategic step in fulfilling the Ghana Cocoa Sector Development Strategy II (CSDS II) and comes at a critical time as the cocoa sector prepares to comply with international regulations such as the EU Deforestation free Regulation (EUDR).
Recognizing that gender equality is not just a matter of fairness but of efficiency and sustainability, this training:
Equipped leaders with practical tools and knowledge to embed gender perspectives into policies and operations.
Encouraged the development of equal opportunities for men and women in all facets of cocoa production, management, and trade.
Strengthened the capacity of COCOBOD leadership to champion gender equity as a central pillar of sustainable cocoa development.
Samuel Noble Quaque, Interim Country Coordinator for GIZ–Sustainable Cocoa Program, emphasized that gender mainstreaming is a key indicator in the EU co-funded program. He highlighted that under GIZ traceability effort with COCOBOD, farmer enumeration data shows 36% of Ghana’s cocoa farmers are women, surpassing the global benchmark of 30% female inclusion. The goal is now to pass the threshold in all the other supply chain segment of the Ghanaian cocoa sector. He called on stakeholders across the cocoa value chain to advance gender equality, stressing that women’s contributions are vital for sustainable decision-making and sectoral growth. The lead consultant for the training, Rose Mensah- Kutin (PhD) from Abantu for Development indicated that “Gender Equity corrects historical disadvantages so that equality becomes achievable. If Ghana’s cocoa sector is to be transformative, inclusive, and sustainable, women must be at the table where power, decisions and budgets sit.”
Training supply chain actors to champion gender equality in the cocoa sector.
In the coming weeks, GIZ-SCP will be supporting the Gender desk of COCOBOD to create a pool of trainers, comprised of technical staff of COCOBOD, to further train and sensitize supply chain actors on the gender policy for the cocoa sector. The initiative ensures that gender equality becomes an integral part of institutional strategy, rather than an afterthought. Anchored in global development priorities and national commitments to gender equity, this effort represents a major milestone in the journey toward a cocoa sector that is not just economically productive, but also socially just and inclusive.
The Sustainable Cocoa Programme is funded by the European Union and the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). It is implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ) in collaboration with Ghana Cocoa Board.
CNE Establishes Taskforce to Advance Due Diligence Implementation
The Conseil National des Exportations set up a Due Diligence Taskforce, bringing together relevant stakeholders, to follow up on the policy recommendations and their implementation. In this sense, the Secretary General of the National Export Council, Serges Martial Bombo, concluded:
The FIT for FAIR project is taking place in a context where it is becoming imperative to rethink practices, integrate sustainability standards into value chains, and ensure that products meet the new requirements of European markets. This is not a constraint, but an opportunity to transform the economy, preserve forests, and promote sustainable development in Côte d'Ivoire.
FIT for FAIR is active globally and aims to enable partner countries to create conducive policies and a legislative environment that allow relevant supply chain actors to comply with key due diligence regulations. Over the past 1.5 years, several working group sessions and focus group discussions brought together stakeholders from the public and private sectors, producer organizations, civil society, and academia to jointly discuss and evaluate the political and legal environment related to due diligence in Côte d’Ivoire. Topics such as living income, human and child rights, legality, traceability, and environmental and forest protection were at the heart of the discussions.
Stakeholders Review National Framework and Propose Roadmap for Policy Action
The status quo analysis of the national framework, which was drawn up and validated by the working group, showed: Côte d’Ivoire is already implementing several activities, including the national traceability system for the cocoa sector, a national land use map, several dialogue formats, and numerous laws to protect forests, the environment, and human rights. However, law enforcement, knowledge of the legislative environment by rights holders, access to land rights for women, the interoperability of different traceability systems, and associated data protection account for some of the challenges identified. Based on this profound analysis, the interdisciplinary multi-stakeholder group, guided by a group of national and international experts and CNE, formulated a set of policy recommendations and a roadmap outlining concrete activities to bring these into action and create a favorable policy environment.
Have a look at the full report and policy recommendations here: RAPPORT D'ETUDES PROJET FIT for FAIR COTE D'IVOIRE - CNE
Want to read and see more?
- TV Report by Business24 Africa: LUTTE CONTRE LA DÉFORESTATION: Des recommandations à la clôture du projet FIT FOR FAIR
- Article on the Official Government Portal of Côte d’Ivoire: FIT FOR FAIR PROJECT: CÔTE D'IVOIRE COMPLIES WITH INTERNATIONAL MARKET STANDARDS TO IMPROVE THE EXPORT COMPETITIVENESS OF ITS PRODUCTS
Did you know? FIT for FAIR is also active in 5 other countries. Find out more here.
Policy Recommendations Handed Over to Key Ministries and the Prime Minister’s Office
On July 3rd, the project concluded with the official handover of policy recommendations to national decision-makers in Côte d’Ivoire—foremost to the Ministry of Trade and Industry, being the ministry in charge of CNE, as well as to the Prime Minister’s Office, the Ministry of Agriculture, and the Ministry of Justice, to name a few. Michel Malan, technical advisor to the Minister of Trade and Industry, encouraged all stakeholders to “work towards making Côte d’Ivoire a model in terms of compliance with international standards […]” and concluded that the handover of the policy recommendations opens the way to the ownership of the project’s conclusions at the highest level.