Bank of Ghana says banks must have dedicated women banking desks and is developing a framework to narrow gender gaps in credit access

In a keynote address at the Glitz Africa Ghana Female CEO Summit, Bank of Ghana Second Deputy Governor Matilda Asante-Asiedu said the central bank requires all banks to maintain dedicated women banking desks and teams, with compliance described as high. She said the Bank of Ghana is developing an evidence-based policy framework with international partners to close gender gaps in credit access, expand targeted digital financial services, and turn financial inclusion into fuller economic participation for women-led enterprises. Asante-Asiedu said women own 44% of SMEs in Ghana and account ownership has risen to 81%, helped by mobile money and the Bank of Ghana's interoperable payment infrastructure, but less than 10% of women-led MSMEs access formal credit. She added that the central bank will continue investing in interoperable payment systems, cross-border trade connectivity, cybersecurity, consumer protection, and harmonised regulations, while urging lenders to use alternative data such as mobile money records, utility payments, supplier invoices, and susu records, and to offer products better matched to seasonal and supply chain cash flow needs.