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Take pride in role to shape country’s progress …Vice President urges women
Empowering women is not merely an act of goodwill but a strategic investment in national development, the Vice President, Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, has said.
According to her, when women are given opportunities to participate fully in leadership and decision-making, the nation benefits from a broader pool of talent, ideas and perspectives.
In a message to commemorate International Women’s Day 2026, Prof. Opoku-Agyemang praised the resilience, achievements and invaluable contributions of women to national development, urging them to take pride in their role in shaping the country’s progress.
The Vice President said Ghana’s theme for this year’s celebration: ‘Giving to Gain,’ reflected deliberate efforts being made to promote women’s participation in leadership and governance.
She explained that the intentional effort to ensure women constituted at least 30 per cent of government appointments recognised the important role women played in national development.
According to her, when women served as ministers, led key public institutions and contributed to policy formulation at the highest levels, the country benefited significantly.
Prof. Opoku-Agyemang noted that expanding opportunities for women should go beyond government institutions.
She said sectors such as business, academia, civil society, the creative industry and faith-based organisations would also benefit greatly from increased participation of women in leadership.
The Vice President, therefore called for continued support for initiatives that promoted gender equality and women’s empowerment across all sectors of society.
She also commended Ghanaian women for their resilience and dedication and wished them a happy International Women’s Day.
By Spectator Reporter
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IN the heart of Ghana’s Central Region, Abura Dunkwa in the Abura-Asebu- Kwamankese District has been shaken by a dramatic rupture in its traditional leadership.
Nana Obo Kwefuah VIII, once the Gyasehene of the town, has been stripped off his stool after allegations of misconduct — including a clandestine romantic relationship with the community’s fetish priestess.
The Odompem Adwenadze Royal Family announced the destoolment last weekend, after months of mounting tension in the town.
Abusuapanyin Kwame Essoun, who led the process, declared that the chief’s removal was justified by both ritual neglect and personal indiscretions.
“He has refused to perform the necessary rites during festivals,” Essoun explained. And his affair with a fetish priestess is against our traditions,” he added.
Family elders echoed the decision. Obaapanyin Aba Appiawa revealed that repeated summons over five months were ignored.
“We invited him several times, but he didn’t come. I fully support the decision to destool him,” she said firmly.
Destoolment remains one of the most powerful disciplinary tools in Ghana’s chieftaincy system. Rooted in centuries of custom, it is the formal removal of a chief deemed unfit to serve — whether for corruption, abuse of power, neglect of ritual duties, or moral failings.
In Akan tradition, chiefs are not merely political figures; they are custodians of spiritual balance. Their authority rests on their ability to perform rites, uphold taboos, and embody moral integrity. A breach of these responsibilities can destabilise the community, making destoolment both a corrective measure and a symbolic act of purification.
“Chiefs are expected to remain above reproach,” said a local elder who requested anonymity. “When they fail, the stool itself loses respect.”
A close relative of the destooled chief, who resides at Abura Abaka near Abura Dunkwa, told The Spectator that Nana Kwefuah had been in a secret relationship with the priestess for a long time. He expressed surprise that the matter had now erupted into public view
From Kingsley E. Hope
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WOMEN in Sustainability Africa (WiSA) successfully held the African Women’s Health and Wealth Conference (AWoHW) with a call for research and investment into women’s healthcare.
It also called for robust financial systems and encouraged women to generate wealth as well as prioritise their health.
The conference held at the Shippers House in Accra on March 5, was on the theme: ‘Championing Inclusive healthcare and finance systems for African women and girls.’
Speaking on behalf of Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Sabia Kpekata, Programme Officer at the Ministry, said financial inclusion remains one of the most critical pathways to women’s empowerment and achieving sustainable development.
According to the minister, it is for this reason that the government continues to support initiatives that expand access to affordable credit, strengthen women-led enterprises and build financial literacy.
“Women must sit at the policy table where budgets are approved, health priorities are set, and economic policies are designed. This is why the ministry calls on all stakeholders to push for the effective implementation of the Affirmative Act,”
• Sabia Kpekata addressing the gathering
she stated.
Addressing the gathering, the Deputy Chief of Staff, Nana Oye Bampoe Addo, noted that many women suffer from mental health issues as a result of health financing, adding that, “this is why President Mahama has initiated the Accra Reset to tackle issues relating to women.”
On her part, the convener, Nana Yaa Serwaa Sarpong, explained that, “Today is not just a conference – It is a declaration. It is a declaration that African women and girls will no longer stand at the margins of systems that determine their health, their wealth, and their future.”
According to her, it is a declaration that sustainability is not a slogan for them, rather, it is a strategy, a commitment and a promise.
The Chief Executive Officer of GoldBod Jewellery, Getrude Emefa Donkor, said saving alone cannot make one financially sound, adding that investing and having other sources of income was the best way to go.
WiSA is a Coordinating Pan-African Organisation that works with other CSOs, NGOs, Corporate Institutions, local and international development organisations and individuals to bring all women, men, young people and women groups together to foster the achievement of the SDGs across Africa
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
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