The Youth and Women Empowerment (YOWE), under its Action for Voice, Influence and Inclusive Development (AVID-2) project, has facilitated a crucial engagement meeting between market women at the Agomanya market and the Lower Manya Krobo Municipal Assembly led by the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE).

The session offered an open platform for traders to present their concerns directly to the MCE, John Atter Matey, who also outlined pragmatic measures to address their challenges.

The meeting followed a successful communal labour exercise jointly undertaken by the market women as part of efforts to improve sanitation and restore discipline within the market environment.

During the engagement, the market women listed several pressing issues affecting their operations, including poor market layout, perennial flooding, sanitation concerns, and deteriorating stalls. They also requested the construction of a health post, a daycare center, and more waste containers to maintain hygiene.

The Assembly Chief, in addressing their concerns, assured the traders of the Assembly’s commitment to upgrading the Agomanya market, describing it as one of the largest and most vibrant trading hubs in the Eastern Region. He revealed that plans were underway to secure funding for the paving of the market and construction of additional sheds.

“Agomanya market deserves a facelift. The issues they have raised align perfectly with the Assembly’s development agenda. We are working to provide a health post to cater to traders, improve sanitation, and create an enabling environment for local business growth,” he said.

Emphasizing on their request for a health post within the market, the MCE announced the allocation of a store to serve that purpose, adding that health personnel were prepared to move in and attend to traders’ medical needs during market hours.

He explained that the decision formed part of the Assembly’s broader effort to promote public health and safety in busy commercial spaces, stressing that traders’ well-being directly impacts productivity and economic activity.

The establishment of the health post would provide first aid and routine health checks, as well as serve as an emergency response point for minor injuries or sudden illnesses that often occur during trading hours.

He also hinted at plans to establish a 24-hour market at Kpong to expand trading activities in line with President John Mahama’s vision for a 24-hour economy, emphasizing that the initiative would complement, not replace, existing market centers.

However, the traders expressed concerns that a 24-hour market at Kpong could affect patronage at Agomanya. Secretary of the Agomanya Market Women Association, Madam Patience Ababio, said the market women appreciated the MCE’s visit and his willingness to listen but appealed for continuous engagement before implementing the Kpong project.

“Public dumping of rubbish anywhere in the market has been our biggest sanitation problem. We’re glad the MCE promised to provide security to curb the nighttime dumping. We also raised the need for a health post, daycare, and operationalization of the new urinal. We are hopeful his promises will be fulfilled,” she said.

Other queen mothers of various trade groups also shared their grievances. Madam Oppong Emelia, queen mother for plastic product sellers, lamented that many traders now sell by the roadside, diverting customers from those inside the market.

The queen mother for egg sellers urged farmers to allow market women to buy eggs directly from farms to ensure they don’t go bad, while the queen mother for cloth sellers appealed for the renovation of their dilapidated stalls into lockable stores to ensure the safety of their goods.

The meeting was part of YOWE’s 18-month-long AVID-2 project, supported by the STAR-Ghana Foundation. The initiative aims to empower local groups, including traders, with knowledge and skills for sustainable livelihood enhancement and to strengthen dialogue between community members and local authorities.

Through such engagements, YOWE continues to promote inclusive development and citizen participation in local governance, ensuring that women traders have a voice in shaping the policies that directly affect their livelihoods.