Form Ghana marked Pan-African Women's Day on Friday 31 July 2026 with celebrations across its Akumadan and Berekum plantation sites, centred on the theme: Women Leading the Future of Forestry.

Organised by the Form Ghana Ladies Club, the day brought management and staff together to recognise women's contributions to the business and to talk openly about what it takes to build a safe, inclusive workplace for everyone.

Berekum-based Operations Manager: Forestry, Matthew Essuman, and Akumadan Plantation Manager, Augustine Affum, welcomed staff at their respective sites and set out the significance of the day for women in Africa.

Sharing ideas

The centrepiece of the day at Akumadan was a debate on the topic: How Men and Women Can Work Together to Create a Stronger and Safer Workplace. Everyone agreed that teamwork, mutual respect, effective communication and shared responsibility are the only way to build a healthy working environment and culture. The organisers were pleased, as it showed how invested employees at both sites are in getting workplace relationships right.

The debate was followed by inputs from management team members Appiah-Benjamin Flanklina and Patricia Frimpong and Regina Ampadu from the Gender Department. They spoke about leadership, resilience and professionalism, and why the company creates opportunities for women to excel across every part of its operations.

In Berekum, the Ladies Club President, Comfort Gyan, encouraged women to pursue leadership roles, develop their professional skills, and remain actively involved in the company's success, while urging all staff to continue supporting one another to foster a respectful, inclusive workplace.

Berekum’s event featured a special guest from the Bono Region’s Department of Gender: Regional Director Joycelyn Adii.

Her keynote address drove home the same message: women at all levels in society and organisations should recognise or create leadership opportunities and build them. She emphasised that the only effective way to do this is through the active support of both men and women.

Meet and greet

The Berekum staff enjoyed refreshments and the opportunity to mix and mingle with colleagues from different departments. Akumadan staff wound up the morning on a more active note with a fun fitness session followed by refreshments.

The Akumadan Ladies Club wrapped up the day with a fun fitness class

In Akumadan, the Ladies Club Coordinator, Faustina Agyeiwaa, closed the proceedings, thanking management, organisers, speakers and the fitness instructor. Matthew Essuman did the same in Berekum and added a special word of thanks to Mrs Joycelyn Adii.

Equal opportunities

Form Ghana’s push for equal opportunities for women and men goes beyond the activities of its Ladies Club. It is an integral part of the company’s culture. This includes team-building and

communication training in 2024 as part of the company's wider push to develop and mentor women in management, operational and technical roles, not just in support functions.

In the words of Form Ghana’s CEO, Willem Fourie, “Form Ghana is grounded in mutual respect, equal opportunity and zero tolerance for workplace discrimination”.