Why Dr. Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings Should Have Been Ghana’s First Female Minister of Defence

Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings

Ghana’s democracy has matured significantly over the past three decades. Yet one area where progress has remained slow is in the leadership of the Ministry of Defence. Since the Fourth Republic, the position has consistently been held by men. The time is ripe for change and Dr. Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings stands as a strong candidate who could have made history as Ghana’s first female Minister of Defence.

Experience and Institutional Knowledge
Dr. Agyeman-Rawlings is not new to security and defence matters. As Chairperson of Parliament’s Defence and Interior Committee, she has engaged directly with Ghana’s military leadership, reviewed defence budgets, examined national security policies, and contributed to oversight of internal security institutions.

This is not symbolic experience it is substantive governance work. Defence leadership requires policy intelligence, accountability oversight, diplomatic engagement, and strategic thinking. These are areas where she has already demonstrated competence.

Women Have the Capacity to Lead Defence
Appointing a woman as Defence Minister for the first time would not be an experiment it would be a recognition of proven leadership capacity.

Across the world, women have successfully led defence ministries and military institutions, bringing innovation, discipline, and strategic reform. Leadership in defence today extends beyond commanding troops; it includes:
Strategic policy development
Civil-military coordination
International defence diplomacy
Cyber security and emerging threats
Peacekeeping and regional stability

Women have excelled in these areas globally, and Ghanaian women have consistently demonstrated excellence in academia, governance, diplomacy, and security services. The assumption that defence leadership must be male is outdated and unsupported by evidence.

In Ghana itself, women serve in the Armed Forces, Police Service, and other security agencies with distinction. Elevating a qualified woman to lead the Defence Ministry would simply align leadership with the talent already present within the system.

A Historic Opportunity for Ghana
Appointing Dr. Agyeman-Rawlings would have been a powerful milestone:
Ghana’s first female Defence Minister
A signal of confidence in women’s leadership capacity
A statement of democratic maturity
A boost to gender inclusion in high-level national security roles
Such a decision would not weaken defence it would strengthen it by broadening perspectives and encouraging institutional modernization.

Legacy and Modern Vision
Dr. Agyeman-Rawlings is the daughter of Jerry John Rawlings, a central figure in Ghana’s military and political history. While her career stands independently on its own merit, her upbringing within a national security–conscious environment gives her additional insight into Ghana’s defence evolution.
However, she represents not the past but a bridge to the future. Her leadership style emphasizes accountability, reform, and democratic oversight qualities essential for a modern defence ministry.

Conclusion
Ghana stands at a crossroads where leadership must reflect competence, vision, and inclusion. Dr. Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings possesses the parliamentary experience, defence knowledge, and strategic insight necessary to lead the Ministry of Defence effectively.

More importantly, appointing a woman for the first time would affirm that national security leadership in Ghana is determined by capability not gender.
The question is no longer whether women can lead defence. They can. The real question is whether Ghana is ready to embrace that reality.

Mustapha Bature Sallama.
Medical/ Science Communicator,
Private Investigator, Criminal investigation and Intelligence Analysis.
International Conflict Management and Peace Building.USIP
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