National Association of queen mothers to be formed

Hedzranawo (V/R), April 25, GNA - Efforts are far advanced towards the formation of a National Association of queen mothers similar to the same Assembly of Chiefs at the National House of Chiefs.

Mamaga Kofi Bra, queen mother of Peki Traditional Area and President of the Volta Region queen mothers Association announced this at the inauguration of the Ketu District Council of Mamawo (KDCM) at Hedzranawo in the Ketu district on Saturday.

The KDCM, which comprises eleven of the 69 queen mothers from seven traditional areas in the district, has Mama Ayaba II, queen mother of Aadfienu as its president.

Mamaga Bra said such national unity of queen mothers would give them a national voice to complement the role of their male counterparts in national development.

She therefore asked the union to remain solid in its objectives and that members should exhibit respect, love and patience towards one another, and avoid being overbearing towards their subjects. Togbe Addoh VIII, Fiaga of Klikor Traditional Area, said queen mothers are very important within the chieftaincy institution in view of the complementary roles they played in the development of their areas. Mr Linus Koffie, Ketu District Chief Executive, said though women are in the majority in the country, their collective voice was inadequate when it comes to opinion giving on national issues.

He therefore urged the union to play a major advocacy for children's rights, modernisation of the widowhood rites, girl-child education, sanitation, laws on succession and the HIV/AIDS campaign in the district.

Mr Koffie also asked the queen mothers to sensitise their subjects to take advantage of the President's Special Initiative (PSI) on cassava, sweet potato, batik and kente-weaving to be launched in the district soon.

Mama Ayaba pledged to discharge her duties to the best of her ability and appealed to chiefs in the area to assist the union to achieve its aim.

Mrs Hilary Gbedemah, Senior Legal Advisor of Women in Law and Development in Africa, said the empowerment of women was only to create gender equilibrium for women to effectively play their developmental role without hindrance in society.