The Greater Accra Regional House of Chiefs has, for the first time, hosted Queen Mothers from across the region in a landmark engagement focused on peace, women’s empowerment and greater inclusion in traditional decision-making.
The engagement, held at the Guggisberg Memorial Hall in Dodowa, brought together the President of the Greater Accra Regional House of Chiefs and Paramount Chief of Nungua, King Professor Odaifio Welentsi, Deputy Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs Rita Naa Odoley Sowah, Greater Accra Regional Minister Linda Obenewaa Akweley Ocloo, representatives of the Ministry, Registrars of the Regional House of Chiefs and Queen Mothers from across the region.
In his welcome address, King Professor Welentsi said empowering Queen Mothers should go beyond gender considerations, describing it as essential to good governance, social cohesion and socio-economic development.
He cited Ghana’s progress in women’s leadership, including the passage of the Affirmative Action (Gender Equality) Act and the appointment of women to key national positions.
However, he noted that women’s representation at the local level still requires significant improvement.
King Professor Welentsi also urged Queen Mothers to take personal initiative in pursuing their aspirations rather than waiting for others to create opportunities for them.\
The Deputy Minister for local government , chieftancy and religious affairs, Rita Naa Odoley Sowah, used the occasion to call on Queen Mothers to lead efforts to ensure a peaceful Homowo celebration, following the loss of six lives during last year’s festivities.
“During last year’s Homowo festivities, six lives were tragically lost, three in Teshie and three in the Sowutuom-Anyaa area.
These were not merely statistics. They were sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, parents and members of families and communities,” she said.
She stressed that no festival was worth the loss of human life and urged communities to resolve disputes through dialogue, mediation and established traditional and lawful mechanisms.
Madam Odoley Sowah described Queen Mothers as “mothers of the land, custodians of culture and influential voices”, saying their leadership could help calm tensions and guide young people.
She also urged them to promote vocational and technical skills among the youth and support accountability in the Ghana School Feeding Programme.
Linking the peace campaign to government’s Reset Agenda, she said development could only thrive in peaceful communities.
“Our government’s Reset Agenda can only succeed in an atmosphere of peace. We cannot reset Ghana without peaceful communities,” she said.
Queen Mothers demand a voice in decision-making
Responding on behalf of the Queen Mothers, the National President of the Queen Mothers Association, Nana Amponsah Dokua III, welcomed the engagement but called for action on issues affecting Queen Mothers.
She identified exclusion from traditional decision-making, chieftaincy conflicts and inadequate support for women’s empowerment as major concerns.
Nana Amponsah Dokua III said some traditional councils still prevent Queen Mothers from attending their meetings, particularly in parts of the Greater Accra Region.
She appealed to the female leaders present, including the Deputy Minister, Regional Minister and Vice President, to champion the inclusion of Queen Mothers in traditional decision-making.
She argued that greater involvement of Queen Mothers could also help reduce conflicts associated with traditional festivals.
“We say we are celebrating. Why should police be around? Why should there be tension? Why do we have to fight? Why do we have to shoot guns?” she questioned.
She called on traditional authorities and government to work closely with Queen Mothers in every traditional area.
On women’s empowerment, Nana Amponsah Dokua III expressed concern over what she described as unfulfilled promises made to women during political campaigns.
“Women need empowerment to be able to stand on our feet,” she said.
The meeting ended with a collective commitment by government, traditional authorities and Queen Mothers to work together to ensure that Homowo 2026 is celebrated peacefully, with dignity, unity and respect for human life.
