Ghana Queen Mother Calls for Role in Community Development

In Ghana, Nana Konadu Yiadom I, Nkosuohemaa of the Kwabre-Abirem community in the Ashanti Region, called on authorities, donors and traditional leaders to more actively involve queen mothers in economic and social development programmes. In an opinion column for MyJoyOnline, she said these traditional institutions unite women, influence girls' education and the economic life of communities, but are, in her view, insufficiently resourced. The role of traditional women leaders The author, professionally known as Barbara Acheampong, explained that the title Nkosuohemaa means 'queen mother of progress.' According to her, such leaders are expected to mobilise women, support education and healthcare, help attract investment and communicate community needs. As an example, she cited market queen mothers. According to Yiadom's description, they set prices, determine credit terms for junior traders, resolve disputes and maintain contacts with farmers, transporters and warehouse owners. The author believes this system works thanks to trust built over generations. More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram. The column also mentions Yaa Asantewaa, the queen mother of Ejisu, who in 1900 led the last Ashanti war against the British Empire and was exiled to the Seychelles after the defeat. The author links this tradition to modern women's leadership, including Ghana's Vice President Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, who became the first woman to hold the post in January 2025. Proposals for the state Nana Konadu Yiadom I proposed involving queen mothers in designing education programmes for girls, rather than merely inviting them to initiative launch ceremonies. She also advocated a mechanism that would connect local susu savings groups with the formal banking system without replacing their established governance rules. Among the author's other proposals is a partnership between traditional women's councils and the Ghana Health Service to disseminate information on maternal health. She also called for queen mothers to be involved in committees that make decisions on allocating customary land for agriculture, mining and infrastructure, and for part of the funding for parallel structures to be directed to the work of traditional women's councils. Read us on Telegram and Sends Download our app