Minister Engages Queen Mothers to Advance Gender Parity, Social Development

The Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr. Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, has held a strategic meeting with the leadership of the Queen Mothers Association, comprising representatives from all sixteen regions of Ghana, to strengthen collaboration on gender equality and social development initiatives.

The delegation, led by its President, Nana Otubea II, outlined the formation and mandate of the Association, explaining that it unites gazetted queen mothers nationwide to promote inclusivity, community development, and participation in national decision-making processes. The group reaffirmed its commitment to partnering with government to drive development efforts within their respective traditional areas.

The Association also highlighted its advocacy role in the passage of the Affirmative Action Act and expressed appreciation to the Minister for her leadership. It further called for deeper collaboration and greater inclusion of queen mothers in governance structures.
In response, Dr. Lartey commended the Association for its proactive engagement and reiterated government’s commitment to inclusive and participatory development. She emphasised that sustainable national progress depends on the involvement of all stakeholders, particularly traditional leaders, whose influence at the community level remains vital.

The Minister noted that the Affirmative Action Act, passed in 2024 and launched in 2025, is currently in its implementation phase, with a dedicated Secretariat established to oversee its rollout. She added that the Ministry continues to deliver targeted social protection interventions through programmes such as the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) and the Ghana School Feeding Programme.

As part of the engagement, Dr. Lartey presented copies of the Affirmative Action Act, the Social Protection Act, and documents on the LEAP reassessment onboarding process to the Association to support their advocacy and outreach activities.
She further underscored the critical role of queen mothers in addressing pressing social issues, including teenage pregnancy, child welfare, caregiving, and community sensitisation.

The Minister also urged the queen mothers to encourage and support more women to contest in the upcoming District Assembly elections, stressing that increased female participation is essential to achieving gender parity in local governance.

The meeting reaffirmed the importance of strong collaboration between government and traditional authorities in advancing gender equality and fostering sustainable social development at the grassroots level.