Seven women groups in the Birim Central Municipality have so far received GH¢50,000.00 under the Gender Empowerment Fund (GEF) to support them in their enterprises.

The Gender Empowerment Fund, which was proposed by Women Chief Executives of Local Authorities of Ghana in May 2011, had three priority intervention areas.

The areas are strategising to enhance girl-child access to quality education to the highest level; establishing micro-finance schemes to support women entrepreneurs and traders and organising confidence-building and political awareness workshops and seminars for women.

Currently the fund which is being operated in 12 Municipal/District Assemblies is being headed by women chief executives is focusing on the micro-finance facility.

Beneficiaries of the credit facility will be rural women with limited educational opportunities engaged mainly in agro-marketing and trading activities and have not received Micro-finance and Small Loans Centre or any government sponsored credit facility in the past five years.

Ms Ophelia Koomson, Municipal Chief Executive who disbursed the money to Adom Firi Nyame Women Association at Akyem Adukrom on Monday, challenged the group to use the fund for the intended purpose.

She enjoined the executives of the association to ensure that all their members repay the loans on scheduled to enable others to enjoy the facility.

Ms Koomson noted that the days when people viewed loans as coming from “Father Christmas” were gone forever.

Madam Akua Asantewa, one of the beneficiaries from Akyem Adukrom, on behalf of her colleagues thanked the GEF for the support.**