Ghana Standards Authority Advocates Artisan Certification as KASPRO Empowers Kayayei in Construction Trades

Ghana is seeing a dual push toward the formalization of vocational skills and the empowerment of vulnerable populations in the technical sector. Recently, 25 female head porters, known as kayayei, graduated from a comprehensive vocational and life skills training program under the Kayayei Assistance Project (KASPRO). This initiative, which has supported over 2,000 women since its inception in 2020, aims to provide sustainable livelihoods by training participants in non-traditional fields such as tiling, painting, and shoemaking, while also providing critical education on sexual and reproductive health and the prevention of gender-based violence.

The graduation ceremony highlighted the success of participants like Mabel Danwah-Leo, who has successfully transitioned into the male-dominated field of tiling. Dr. Wilfred Ochan of the UNFPA emphasized that such programs are essential for protecting women from exploitation and giving them the tools to succeed in professional environments. By focusing on high-demand technical skills, KASPRO is effectively shifting the narrative of what is possible for female laborers in Ghana’s urban centers.

Simultaneously, the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) is calling for a more structured approach to artisan training across the country to ensure national safety and building quality. Ing. Tsaku Mawuli, the GSA's Head of Engineering, recently noted that while architects and engineers undergo rigorous formal education, many construction artisans like masons and plumbers lack standardized training. During a symposium, he urged for the immediate implementation of certification programs to address this gap, arguing that professionalizing these trades is the only way to ensure accountability and prevent the structural failures that have plagued the construction industry.

The alignment of empowerment projects like KASPRO with the GSA's push for professional standards signals a critical evolution in Ghana’s vocational landscape. By integrating marginalized groups into a certified and regulated workforce, the country stands to benefit from both improved social equity and safer infrastructure. Moving forward, stakeholders are calling for increased collaboration to create a unified system of training and certification that guarantees quality and provides a clear pathway for artisans to contribute to the nation’s development.