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Don’t fall for social pressure – Ms Karikari advises women
The Chief Executive Officer of Glory Gate Capital Limited, Mrs. Francisca Nyamekye Karikari, has advised women not to fall for the social pressure of marriage and child birth.
She said getting married and having children should not be the only ambition of women and that a woman was still “complete whether she is married or not.”
Speaking at the second edition of the Women Connect Conference (WCC) in Accra last Saturday, she charged women to remain ambitious and committed to goals in all aspects of life.
The forum themed: “Women on the Go: Staying Mentally Healthy as You Juggle Everyday,” sought to build the capacity of women and broaden the conversation on mental health.
Mrs. Karikari, speaking on the subject: “The realities about being a woman with ambition and its related mental health challenges,” she noted that failure was eminent in the bid to attain excellence but that should not be an excuse for aiming higher.
“Don’t evaluate yourself based on the achievement of others, you are unique. You just need to define your success parameters and stay focused. Work hard even if you are not appreciated. Even if nobody sees it, you are building your own skills,” she said.
Highlighting the need to avoid procrastination, she said women aiming to thrive in male domination professions must be flexible while believing their own abilities.
“Surround yourself with ambitious people who would tell you things that would build you up. Don’t present yourself as a superwoman because you are not, find help when you need it,” she added.
Mrs. Abena Biney, Audit Partner and Consumer Business Leader, Deloitte Ghana also speaking on joggling workload with personal life, emphasised the need to prioritise tasks, set personal boundaries, and build support groups at work.
“When you continue to put yourself under unnecessary pressure that is when you begin to build stress and anxiety,” she said.
Ms. Emiley Mensah, Project Head, WCC, said the forum was to educate women on the need for self-care as they went about daily routines which were likely to affect their mental and physical well-being.
“Society has created an expectation for women and the challenge is that women often do this at the expense of their mental health. That, however, does not mean you should go through your struggles silently,” she said.
The forum brought together hundreds of women from diverse backgrounds, including the Canadian High Commissioner to Ghana, Kati Csaba, and Ambassador Nancy Quartey Sam, Chief Executive Officer of Staple Travel and Tour, who was honoured with a citation.
By Ernest Nutsugah
Massive celebrations were recorded countrywide as the Black Stars opened their 2026 World Cup campaign with a 1-0 victory over Panama in Toronto on Wednesday.
Midfielder Caleb Yirenkyi scored the only goal of the match late in the game as he shot in a decent cross from substitute Brandon Asante.
The win gave Ghana a positive start in the competition, placing them in second position behind England, also with three points but with a superior goal aggregate.
After the final whistle, the streets and other viewing centres were turned into partying grounds as fans, mostly clad in the team’s paraphernalia, danced to several World Cup-themed music.
Others blew the vuvuzelas in joyous mood with others putting up a spirited ‘jama’ session.
Former New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary candidate for the Adentan Constituency, Akosua Manu, has urged party members to move away from what she describes as an “entitlement mentality” and focus on unity, sacrifice and hard work as the party prepares for the 2028 general election.
In a statement titled “Is Loyalty a Queue?”, and posted on facebook, Ms. Manu argued that loyalty to the NPP should not be judged by how long a person has been in the party but by their contributions and commitment to its growth.
According to her, the NPP’s history shows that many of its leaders faced significant opposition from within the party before eventually leading it to electoral success.
She cited former President John Agyekum Kufuor as an example, saying he had to overcome resistance from influential figures within the party before winning power for the NPP in 2000.
Ms. Manu noted that after the party lost power in 2008, former President Kufuor faced criticism and accusations from some party members.
However, she said supporters eventually put their differences aside and worked together to rebuild the party.
She pointed to the experience of former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who, according to her, faced opposition from some factions within the NPP despite his long service to the party.
“His trials were ten times what Kufuor endured,” she stated, adding that Akufo-Addo eventually overcame the challenges and became President of Ghana.
Turning to the NPP’s current flagbearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Ms. Manu said he also faced resistance from different groups within the party while seeking leadership.
She praised Dr. Bawumia for contributing to policy-based political discussions in Ghana and for remaining composed following the NPP’s defeat in the 2024 elections.
According to her, party members must now rally behind him in the same way they supported former Presidents Kufuor and Akufo-Addo.
Ms. Manu, however, warned that internal divisions and a sense of entitlement remain major threats to the party’s future.
She argued that some party members place too much emphasis on how long individuals have belonged to the NPP rather than on their contributions and capabilities.
“This entitlement does not question impact. It does not ask what you sacrificed or what you built. It asks only how long have you been here,” she said.
The former parliamentary candidate cautioned that such attitudes could discourage committed members and prevent the party from selecting the best people for leadership positions.
She further called on the party’s incoming national executives to strengthen the NPP’s core values of sacrifice, honesty, integrity and dedication to national development.
Ms. Manu addressed the concerns of young party supporters, many of whom she said became discouraged following the NPP’s electoral defeat in 2024.
According to her, many young people remain eager to see the party return to power but are unwilling to support internal conflicts driven by personal ambitions.
She urged party elders to place the interests of the NPP above their individual goals and to demonstrate leadership that attracts rather than alienates members.
“The NPP is bigger than any one of us. It always has been. Our collective responsibility is to act like it,” she stated.
By: Jacob Aggrey
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