Ghana: Deputy Chief Of Staff Urges Energy Institutions To Remove Barriers Facing Women

Ghana’s energy institutions must craft deliberate strategies to tackle barriers facing women and enable them to contribute fully to national development, Deputy Chief of Staff Nana Oye Bampoe Addo has urged.

Speaking at the International Women’s Day Symposium and the launch of the Ghana Gas Ladies’ Association in Accra under the theme “Give to Gain,” she highlighted the unique hurdles women encounter in technical and industrial sectors.

These include limited access to specialised equipment and opportunities, workplaces that still need to evolve into more gender-friendly spaces, and lingering stereotypes that discourage women from pursuing careers in science and engineering.

To help shift this narrative, Nana Oye Bampoe Addo called on institutions to foster supportive environments, champion inclusive leadership, and build professional networks where women can mentor and uplift one another.

She praised the newly launched Ghana Gas Ladies’ Association as a vital step forward, noting that it will promote mentorship, professional growth, collaboration, knowledge sharing, and confidence-building among women in the energy industry.

The Deputy Chief of Staff contended that when women are supported to succeed in the sector, institutions become more innovative and societies become more prosperous.

Touching on women’s contributions across the upstream and downstream sectors of the energy value chain, she cited roles ranging from policy and leadership to engineering and technical expertise.

“When individuals and organisations give generously through mentorship, knowledge sharing, and opportunities, the result is greater progress and stronger opportunities for women,” Nana Oye Bampoe Addo asserted.

According to her, the International Women’s Day provides an important opportunity not only to celebrate women’s contributions but also to examine the gaps that still exist and renew collective commitment to closing them.

She told participants that it was fitting for women leaders, professionals, and mentors from across Ghana’s energy sector to mark the occasion together.

She used the occasion to celebrate hardworking women in Ghana’s energy sector, particularly Ms. Judith Adjobah Blay, Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Gas, and her female staff.