Sarah Owusu serves as the Women’s Economic Empowerment Lead at the Elizka Relief Foundation, a prominent non-governmental organisation based in Ghana. In this pivotal capacity, Ms Owusu is responsible for designing, leading, and implementing strategic initiatives aimed at advancing economic opportunities, financial independence, and self-determination for women. Her work focuses on addressing critical supply-side constraints that affect participation in local and international markets, particularly for vulnerable demographics.
Operating from the organisation’s dedicated facility on the USTED Campus in Kumasi, Ashanti Region, Ms Owusu helps bridge the gap between grassroots economic development and broader international policy frameworks. She oversees capacity-building programmes and research-driven field interventions that empower female entrepreneurs and workers. By integrating these localised interventions into national and regional development frameworks, her leadership helps foster inclusive economic growth and strengthens the socio-economic resilience of communities across Ghana.
Ms Owusu’s role is particularly vital as international trade policy increasingly recognises that enabling female entrepreneurs and workers strengthens export competitiveness and economic diversification. Through her leadership, the Foundation delivers targeted training and resource distribution, ensuring that women are equipped to navigate modern trade environments and contribute meaningfully to sustainable development.
Organisation
Elizka Relief Foundation is a registered Ghanaian non-governmental organisation dedicated to capacity building, human empowerment, and environmental sustainability. Established with a mission to construct and manage strategic pathways for collaboration across distinct sectoral, identity, and geographical boundaries, the Foundation embeds research-driven field interventions into localised policy frameworks. The organisation operates with an extensive international footprint, holding Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (UN ECOSOC) since 2015. Additionally, it maintains accredited Observer status with multiple global bodies, including the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Green Climate Fund (GCF), the Global Environment Facility (GEF), and the World Health Organization (WHO) CSOs Commission.
Areas of Focus
- Women’s economic empowerment and gender-inclusive trade policies.
- Capacity building and skills development for vulnerable demographics.
- Socio-economic development and grassroots market integration.
- Collaboration between non-governmental organisations and international trade frameworks.
- Sustainable community development and environmental self-determination.
At the Forum
At the International Trade Council Global Convocation & Leadership Forum in London, Ms Owusu aims to engage with global policymakers, trade officials, and business leaders to advocate for gender-inclusive trade policies. She seeks to explore collaborative partnerships that align grassroots capacity building with international market access, highlighting how empowering women entrepreneurs can enhance export competitiveness and diversify developing economies.
