The Queenmothers Platform, Ghana, a network of queenmothers across the country, have called for the establishment of a National Chamber of Queenmothers to help deepen traditional governance.
The platform said the establishment of a state-recognised chamber of queenmothers, akin to the National House of Chiefs, would help to tap the potential of queen mothers for national development.
They made the call when an 18-member delegation of paramount queenmothers across the 16 regions paid a courtesy call on the Minister of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Mahama Ayariga, in Accra recently.
The delegation was led by the President of the Greater Accra Queenmothers Association, Manye Amponsah Dokua III, who also serves as the President of the Queenmothers Platform, Ghana.
Mr Ayariga and the Deputy Minister of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Rita Naa Odoley Sowah, received the delegation and held fruitful discussions with them.
At the meeting, Manye Amponsah III presented a petition for the establishment of the Chamber of Queenmothers to the Minister, and stressed that the time had come for the state to recognise the role of queenmothers in national development through well-established structures.
She said although queenmothers had historically played crucial roles in traditional governance and national development, the absence of laid down structures had muted their voices on key national issues and relegated them to the background.
Relevance of chamber
Manye Amponsah III added that the establishment of a queenmothers chamber would help to bring all of them together under one umbrella for legitimacy and ensure adequate resources to tackle teething challenges in the society.
She also said the chamber would place queenmothers in a better position to contribute meaningfully to national development in the areas of health care, education, security and empowerment.
"The establishment of the National Chamber of Queenmothers is not a call for competition with our male counterparts who are our husbands and sons; we do not seek to rub shoulders with them, but to complement their role for national development," she said.
She stressed that the queenmothers would not undermine the work of chiefs when the chamber was created but would rather add value to traditional governance.
Good call
Mr Ayariga assured the queenmothers that their concerns would be addressed based on merit, and upon engagement with other stakeholders.
He said given the critical role queenmothers played in traditional governance and national development, it was important to consider their concerns in a positive light.
"For me, it is not a complicated matter; it impresses me that you have come together for a common purpose.
The Constitution guarantees you a right to form an association, and there is nothing wrong with you establishing a Chamber of Queenmothers," he said.
However, he said he was going to work closely with the national and regional houses of chiefs to work out the structural issues surrounding the proposal.
The minister added that the particular call by the queenmothers to play key roles in education, health, conflict resolution and mediation was refreshing.
"We are currently grappling with the sanitation situation in the country, and I believe that if our queenmothers are empowered, they can help us achieve this goal," he said.
Mr Ayariga said he was ready to lead the process for the mobilisation of resources and building their capability to contribute positively to national development.
