global gender gap and 202 years to bring about parity in the workplace. ghana placed 89th among 149 participating countries in 2018 in terms of the gender gap ( wef 2018 ) ; female talent is reported to be among the least utilized economic and business resources around the world. a recent mckinsey study posits that making even small inroads in closing the global gender gap could potentially increase global gdp by $ 12 trillion by 2025 ; further studies show that the contributions of african women to economic activities on the continent are considerable, albeit mostly informal. the un fao estimates that women in africa are responsible for 70 % of crop production, 50 % of animal husbandry and 60 % of market activity. women undertake nearly 100 % of food processing activities, in addition to child care and other responsibilities in households ; an ernst & young report asserts that women in africa make up over 50 % of africa ’ s growing population, and yet are “ a powerful untapped economic force ” that should be further harnessed as an important contributor to the african growth story ; according to the latest world bank enterprise survey, in both the public and private sectors, only 1 in 26 salaried african women is employed in a senior management position, compared with 1 in every 6 men. women ’ s formal ownership of smes currently stands at around a third of all registered smes in africa, and womenowned smes are more likely to have lower sales and annual turnover, less employees, and smaller size than those enterprises owned by men. in spite of these statistics, there is hardly any controversy about the immense role played by women in building homes, communities, societies, nations, and beyond. at least in ghana, the hard work and sacrifices of women in every sphere of our national life from time immemorial, are well recognized and praised often. yet we must ask ourselves why are there so few women in the corporate board rooms or in parliament? why are so many women confined to the informal sector? why do women own only a third of all smes in africa? why are smes owned by women more likely to be smaller than those owned by men? why do women remain “ a powerful untapped economic force ” in a continent that is seeking to emerge from the tag of being the world ’ s poorest? how can we tap more into the talents, gifts, intellect, and perspectives of women to advance our nation - building efforts? what will it take for women to

to finance. we must harness the opportunities presented by the rapid growth of mobile money to make more finance available to women in the informal sector and encourage them to formalise their economic activities. i can say that the bank of ghana is an equal - opportunities employer that is committed to fostering an all - inclusive work place, with equal opportunities for all, including women. today, there is a significant number of women in senior leadership positions at the bank, and management will continue to promote equity and create an environment where women feel supported to give off their utmost best. to conclude, let us all renew our commitment to promoting more balanced representation of women in every way we can. the business case for it is self - evident. to quote ms. condoleezza rice, former us secretary of state, “ so often, it takes only one woman to make a difference. if you empower that woman with information, and training, or a microloan, she can lift up her entire family and contribute to the success of her community. multiply that one woman ’ s impact by a hundred or a thousand, and perhaps a million lives can change. ” let us all “ better the balance ”, and better our world! i thank you for your attention!