-Celebrates IWD
By: Laymah Kollie
Monrovia, Liberia: A Liberian Corporation Golden Touch Corporation on March 25, 2025, launched an empowerment series for market women. The initiative titled “Her Rise Initiative” will serve as a platform to enhance women’s voices and help navigate ways for improvement in their small businesses. The occasion was held in celebration of International Women’s Day in Monrovia.
‘Her Rise Initiative’ is aimed at bridging the gap between small businesses and Stakeholders for improvement into services for both businesswomen and the public. It is meant to support small businesses in becoming sustainable corporations.
‘Her Rise” is designed around three phases.
Phase one will focus on data collection. Through this phase, Golden Touch will engage market women, trainers, and informal entrepreneurs to gather accurate data about challenges, their hopes, and their vision. It aims to enhance evidence-based transformation.
Phase two is practically Capacity Building. Golden Touch will equip women with skills, confidence, leadership, and knowledge through tailoring training, mentorship, and business development.
Phase three will then focus on access to finance. Golden Touch will seek partnerships and collaboration with Banks, the Government, Stakeholders, and big Corporations to connect women on micro-loans.
Giving the overview of the initiative, Ms. Cassandra L. Hampton, Chief Executive Officer, of Golden Touch Corporation stressed the importance of the activity for Liberian women in small businesses. She considers the initiative as a call to action and empowerment hub for struggling businesswomen in Liberia.
Madam Hampton in a remark said “ Her Rise is a promise that she will rise, a promise that a woman who had been overlooked will be seen, a promise that a woman who has been underestimated will be supported and that a woman who had been stuck in survival mode will step into a season of sustainability, dignity and self-esteem”
She further emphasized the importance of government and international partnerships in the initiative.
“This journey is not something we can walk alone, we are calling on the government to prioritize inclusive offices that create real opportunities for women in business, not for our colleagues, not for our friends and family but for people who actually deserve it.
We also call on the International Community to invest in projects and the lives of women who are ready”.
The ceremony was graced by Stakeholders, Marketers, Civil Society, and Corporations.
In remarks, Mr. Benedict Dolo, Deputy Minister for Small Business Administration at the Ministry of Commerce acknowledged the value women bring to society. He reaffirmed his Institution’s commitment to supporting women in Liberia.
“There’s no society that survives without women. We want to partner with every woman group because if you build a woman every nation is successful”
Furthermore, Madam Elizabeth Sambollah, President of Marketing Women of Liberia outlined the challenges faced by women in that sector. She named the lack of school facilities in marketplaces as a major challenge for women. The Women’s President also stressed the issue of improper waste management in the city as a matter highly contributing to waste pollution in the various markets.
“We have 46 markets and only three schools attached to these markets. Lay houses in Monrovia here where are they throwing their dirt? In the market. The marketers are not dirty. These are big challenges we have in the market. We want our girls to go to school. College sounds too big to women in the market because only 12 grade they can afford”
Key amongst her challenges highlighted by her are harassment of market women by would-be sources of goods production, and high interest rates in the banking sector.
“The challenges are too much, when you give your market to a man to store he wants to sleep with you before he does that. When women go into the bush to get the market, the palm cutters want to sleep with them before helping them with goods. You go to the bank to credit they take everything, what do you have left? You remember market women. Market women are committed. When you educate a man you educate a family, when you educate a woman you educate a hold nation” Madam Elizabeth stressed.
Madam Magdalene Dagoseh, Minister of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of Liberia served as Keynote Speaker. She cautioned young women about the power they possess while urging them to wake up and transform lives.
She noted, “To the young women, you are bigger in your wins, don’t wait for people to tell you to rise, rise now. Take the power to transform not only yourself but the people around you. Our collective efforts will help bridge the gap where every citizen can stand and rise on their own”
The Liberian Commerce Minister called for collective efforts in advancing the dreams of women. “Let us work to turn our dreams together as women of Liberia. Together we can transform this country, together we can transform our youth, together we can get Liberia where we want it to be”.
Participants at the occasion applauded Golden Touch for the activity and promised to work collectively in shaping the atmosphere positively for every woman.
Golden Touch Corporation is a business facilitation and management firm, its primary focus is on Investment facilitation (meeting facilitation / corporate events, operational setup, market research,
branding, proposal development, training, public-private engagements, surveys, identifying areas to invest, strategic planning, coordination and management), Corporate compliance and tax filing (Compliance with industry standards and codes of practices, compliance with external clients’ specifications, compliance with licensing, permits, accreditation, contract negotiation, etc) and Debt Recovery.
Their services to businesses both locally and internationally have helped promote growth and enhanced economic development. Golden Touch skills set have helped businesses strategically enter the
Liberian market and sort out business’ needs in no time. The team understands customers’ needs and helps them create strategic plans to align with those needs. At GTC, our mission is to alleviate business challenges, enhance business growth and development, and ensure lasting and sustainable impact.
