Mar 29, 2023 9:29 am CT
2023-03-29 09:29
9:29
March 29, 2023
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ACCRA, Ghana — Vice President Kamala Harris on Wednesday concluded a three-day state visit to Ghana during which she hosted a roundtable focused on the economic empowerment of women in the country and the government’s commitment to the issue more broadly on the African continent underscore.
Harris met with five Ghanaian female entrepreneurs in fields including medicine, agriculture, climate, business and culture at The Mix Design Hub, a women-run restaurant, gallery and coworking space. It coincided with the announcement of approximately $1 billion in pledges of public and private funding to help close the gender gap in internet access in Africa and to help women increase their participation in the economy .
“We believe the investments I have outlined will help build a future where women are not only treated equally but can thrive, where women have the opportunity to lead, and where there are simply no barriers to women’s ability to participate in the economy, where they can enjoy nonviolence and equal access to health care and education, and where they can break through any glass ceiling,” Harris said Wednesday.
Several of the Black women entrepreneurs smiled and nodded in agreement Wednesday morning as Harris reiterated the importance of not only including women but also their leadership as key to their empowerment and the progress of Ghana, the African continent and the world at large.
“The focus here is on both inclusion and leadership, understanding that women need to have the opportunity and access to whatever it takes to achieve their goals, their desires, their potential and also to lead,” Harris said .
Harris said the government is working to measure the impact of its investments and is “a big believer in metrics.”
“I believe the window is definitely open now, and I believe the window will continue to be open because of what we’re doing now,” she said. “But it will be a function of the investments we make from now on to create the momentum necessary for this approach to last.”
Harris’ mission on this trip also includes diplomacy after the previous administration largely ignored Africa, with former President Donald Trump describing some nations as “shithole countries.”
Jennifer Hart, associate history professor at Wayne State University, said that while the tone of government has changed in recent years, the policy commitments provide some insight into whether things are really changing in US-Africa relations have.
“The US controls a lot of global economic policy and that has a huge impact on African countries and the people who live in them,” Hart said.
Speaking to reporters after the event, Harris linked women’s equality to democracy and security.
“When you create a system where the rule of law matters, equal rights are defended and protected,” Harris said. “You will see greater empowerment of all people, including women, especially when they are lagging behind or you see extreme differences. So there is a correlation and we will continue to work on that, knowing that they are connected.”
Hart said the United States and other wealthy countries often take a “kind of neo-colonial approach” to Africa and that the government should think carefully about how it invests, particularly in relation to women.
“These people do amazing things; They just need people to avoid them,” Hart said. “They need access to resources and they need to be listened to, they need to be seen as equals in a meaningful way. They need a much more level playing field than it is now, as an acknowledgment from the United States that it’s not level, it hasn’t been level for two centuries.”
Ghana is the first of three countries that Harris, the first woman and African-American vice president, will visit on her historic first trip to the continent as the most powerful black woman in American politics. She will also travel to Tanzania and Zambia while continuing to focus on gender equality, digital inclusion and democracy.
While in Ghana, Harris announced a planned US$100 billion in aid to address threats from violent extremism and instability in Benin, Ghana, Guinea, Côte d’Ivoire and Togo. delivered a keynote address on US-Africa relations; and laid a wreath at Cape Coast Castle, a fortress that was the last stop for millions of Africans during the slave trade.
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