Women play very important roles in nation building but they belong to the marginalised group in our country.
In terms of sheer numbers, women form the majority of the population in Ghana, yet neither their views are factored into the decisions taken on a number of issues nor they involved in the decision-making process.
Since the era of Beijing in the 1990s, the world has publicly committed itself to affirmative action but the reality is that many governments are only paying lip-service to the initiative.
Our governments have always pledged to appoint a certain number of women to key governance positions such as ministers of state, district chief executives, membership of the Council of State and chief executives of state-owned organisations. However this pledge by successive governments to make women key partners in national development is yet to materialise.
It is even ironical that at the traditional level, the queenmother plays a key role in the nomination, selection and installation of chiefs, including paramount chiefs in southern Ghana, but they are excluded from sittings of the council of chiefs at the national levels, thereby getting relegated to the background in the decision-making process of the chieftaincy institution.
Anytime the argument is raised, those opposed to the idea postulate that the regional and national houses of chiefs are meant to be the preserve of chiefs.
They argue further that if the suggestion is heeded, all the regions will not be represented by queenmothers as some traditional areas do not recognise women’s role in the traditional councils.
In spite of the stiff opposition, the queenmothers persisted in their struggle for recognition at the regional and national houses of chiefs.
The fight for recognition has finally yielded dividends since the National House of Chiefs has decided that with effect from this year, 50 queenmothers— five from each region, are to be admitted to the national body of chiefs.
The Daily Graphic is happy that after a long struggle, the National House of Chiefs has decided to end the discrimination against queenmothers.
The decision to include the queenmothers in the august National House of Chiefs is very progressive. It will provide the queenmothers with the opportunity to bring their knowledge of the traditions, expertise, values and norms to bear on the activities of the chieftaincy institution at the highest level.
Our queenmothers have played very pivotal roles in the administration of traditional councils throughout the country and it is our hope that they will live up to expectation.
The inclusion of the queenmothers in the various houses of chiefs will bring a soft touch to the deliberations of the chiefs so far as women and children’s issues are concerned.
We know, though, that some queenmothers fan chieftaincy disputes in their towns and villages, as well as at the traditional councils.
The Daily Graphic expects these litigant queenmothers to leave their passion for prolonged litigation in their backyards and approach issues discussed at the national house of chiefs objectively to help resolve the numerous chieftaincy disputes that have afflicted many parts of the country.
In spite of the challenges that this decision will bring, we commend all those behind the laudable move and hope that the chiefs and queenmothers will strike a harmonious working pose to promote peace and development in the country.
