President John Dramani Mahama has held discussions with Queen Máxima of the Netherlands on measures to improve women’s access to credit and other financial services in Ghana.

The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly and focused on addressing financing barriers that continue to limit the ability of women to start, expand and sustain businesses.

Queen Máxima, who is the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development, has consistently advocated for greater access to financial services for women and other underserved groups.

The discussions come amid concerns over the significant gap between women’s participation in Ghana’s financial system and the amount of credit available to them.

Data for the second quarter of 2026 show that women and women-owned businesses accounted for 82.8% of secured credit transactions in Ghana. However, they received only GH¢3.1 billion in loans, compared with GH¢19.4 billion advanced to men and male-owned businesses.

The figures highlight the disparity between women’s participation in secured lending and the value of financing they are able to access.

Ghana has made progress in expanding financial inclusion among women. In 2024, about 78.3% of women aged 15 and above had access to a bank or mobile money account, up from 27.1% in 2011.

The rate, however, remained below the 84.4% recorded among men, suggesting that barriers to full financial inclusion persist.

The discussions also come amid plans for the proposed Women’s Bank, which is expected to provide additional financing opportunities for women and support the growth of women-owned businesses.

Other areas requiring attention include reducing the cost of borrowing, easing lending requirements and providing longer-term financing to businesses owned or led by women.

The engagement between President Mahama and Queen Máxima therefore places renewed focus on moving beyond basic financial inclusion to ensuring that Ghanaian women can access the level of financing required to grow their businesses, create jobs and contribute more significantly to the economy.