The Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences has honoured women whose leadership and contributions are helping to shape Ghana, with Vice President Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang calling for stronger efforts to remove the barriers that limit women’s progress. The maiden Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences Women’s Awards in Accra celebrated women who have made significant contributions to Ghana's development.
According to Vice President Professor Opoku-Agyemang, Ghanaian women have played important roles in the country’s development long before women gained wider access to formal education and public office. Women have historically contributed to agriculture, fishing, mining, trading, healthcare, leadership and even warfare, but many of these contributions were not formally recognised.
The introduction of formal education and colonial institutions created new pathways to employment and public leadership, but access to those opportunities was unequal. Education has since become one of the most important tools for advancing women’s participation in professional and public life. However, significant barriers remain, including finance, professional advancement, leadership, decision making, or the courage to confront prejudice.
Professor Opoku-Agyemang said the government was implementing measures intended to improve women’s access to opportunities, including the Affirmative Action Act, the revised National Gender Policy and the establishment of a Women’s Development Bank. These initiatives aim to address the existing disparities and promote gender equality in Ghana.
President of the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences, Emerita Professor Isabella Akyinbah, said the awards were designed not only to celebrate women whose achievements are already widely known, but also those making significant contributions away from the spotlight. She described these contributions as the “quiet factor” - the often unseen work of women that creates visible and lasting change in communities and institutions.
The awards were held under the theme “Breaking Barriers and Building Nations: Celebrating Women in Outstanding Leadership in Ghana.” The event also reflected on the Academy’s own history, including the contribution of its first female fellow, Dr Letitia Obeng, who delivered a lecture on Nation Building and the African Woman in 1972. This highlighted the progress made and the work still to be done.
The maiden awards served both as a celebration of women who have broken barriers and a call for greater recognition and support for women whose everyday contributions continue to help build Ghana. Professor Opoku-Agyemang urged stakeholders to ensure that progress made at the top is matched by opportunities for women at the grassroots, emphasizing that it is crucial to ensure that the opportunities available to women are as expansive as the contributions they have always made.
Key points
- The Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences has honoured women for their leadership and contributions to Ghana's development.
- The Vice President called for stronger efforts to remove barriers that limit women's progress.
- The government is implementing measures to improve women's access to opportunities, including the Affirmative Action Act and the revised National Gender Policy.
