A Milestone for Gender Equity: VVMG’s Women in Cocoa Festival Gains Official Backing from COCOBOD

History was made on 27th  October 2025 when the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) formally signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Vice Versa Media Ghana (VVMG) and Radix Consult Ltd to support the Women in Cocoa Festival and Awards (WICFA) a groundbreaking initiative designed to amplify women’s voices in Ghana’s cocoa industry.

For generations, women have worked quietly but powerfully within the cocoa value chain planting, harvesting, fermenting, drying, trading, and managing finances that sustain families and communities. Yet, their stories have too often been drowned out by the hum of machinery, policy debates, and export statistics. Yesterday’s signing marks a definitive moment to change that narrative.

The women force behind the Women In Cocoa Festival

 A National Platform for Women in Cocoa

The Women in Cocoa Festival & Awards (WICFA) is Ghana’s first-ever nationwide celebration dedicated to highlighting and empowering women across the cocoa ecosystem  from smallholder farmers and processors to researchers, entrepreneurs, and advocates.

At its core, WICFA extends beyond the scope of a festival. Through exhibitions, dialogues, and mentorship programs, it connects women with new markets, showcases innovation, and inspires a new generation to see cocoa not just as a crop, but as a catalyst for empowerment and transformation.

“It’s time the voices of women are heard in Ghana’s cocoa industry. Their resilience has sustained the industry for decades. Now, their leadership must define its future.” Naana Yaa Boatemaa Asiedu the country coordinator asserted.

Some Management and Staff of  Ghana COCOBOD

COCOBOD’s Endorsement: Legitimizing a New Era

By endorsing WICFA through this formal partnership, COCOBOD sends a clear signal gender equity is now central to the future of Ghana’s cocoa sector. The MoU commits all three partners to a coordinated effort toward inclusion, training, and recognition for women working across the cocoa value chain.

This collaboration aligns seamlessly with COCOBOD’s Gender Mainstreaming Policy, the Dutch-funded DISCO initiative, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 5 and SDG 8)  all of which emphasize women’s empowerment, decent work, and economic growth.

The partnership thus transforms what began as a visionary idea by Vice Versa Media Ghana and Radix Consult into an institutionally supported national movement one capable of reshaping mindsets, policies, and possibilities.

Country Coordinator, Naana Yaa Boatema Aseidu signing the Women In Cocoa Festival MOU

Celebrating Excellence and Building Futures

The annual Women in Cocoa Awards will honor exceptional women who have shown leadership, creativity, and innovation across production, entrepreneurship, sustainability, leadership, and community impact.

The 2026 national festival in Accra will feature more than 100 women-led enterprises and cooperatives, along with exhibitions, masterclasses, and youth-focused forums. Before that, regional sensitization programs will roll out across cocoa-growing zones, including Ashanti, Western North, Eastern, and Ahafo Regions  blending dialogue, agribusiness training, and digital literacy programs tailored for women farmers.

Each event will serve as both a celebration and a catalyst: celebrating achievements while equipping women with the knowledge and networks to thrive in the modern cocoa economy.

Vice Versa Media Ghana, Radix  Team and  Management of COCOBOD together as a united front

A Collective Step Forward

The MoU signing transcends a procedural step; it is a promise a shared commitment to rewrite Ghana’s cocoa story through inclusion, collaboration, and vision.

COCOBOD, Vice Versa Media Ghana, and Radix Consult are charting a future where women are not mere contributors but leaders, not background figures but frontline changemakers shaping policy, sustainability, and innovation.

As the Women in Cocoa Festival and Awards gathers momentum, one truth stands out: this is not just about gender equity it’s about justice, sustainability, and the enduring power of Ghanaian women to transform an industry that feeds a nation and delights the world.

“Together, we are moving beyond acknowledgment to action. This partnership ensures that every woman in cocoa knows she belongs not on the sidelines, but at the center of Ghana’s cocoa legacy.” Susan Hermina Yemidi herald.