National House of Chiefs admits queenmothers
Mr John Alexander Apone, Deputy Minister of Chieftaincy and Culture on Thursday announced the admission of women paramount chiefs into the National House of Chiefs.
This, he said, had come about due to extensive consultations with members and leadership of the National House of Chiefs.
Mr Apone, who was speaking during the opening of a two-day workshop of Council of Women Traditional Leaders in Accra, said the Ministry would organise a workshop to educate the women on the activities of the National House of Chiefs.
“Another meeting would also be organised for both the chiefs and the paramount queen mothers to enable both sides collaborate well in the House”, he explained.
He appealed to the women not to feel intimidated when they join the National House of Chiefs, but contribute to discussions and activities of the House.
He appealed to the queen mothers to guard against cultural adulteration as it served as the beginning of indiscipline in every society.
He also called for the abolishing of all cultural practices which have negative repercussions on the lives people.
Professor Kwabena Nketsia, Former Head, Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana, appealed to the queen mothers to make the issues pertaining to women and children their priority.
He urged them to develop innovative programmes in their localities that would continuously inculcate in children their cultural heritage to avoid their extinction and adulteration.
Madam Susan Namondo Ngongi, Country Representative for UNICEF, appealed to the women to take much interest in the education of children in their localities as well antenatal care for pregnant women.
“With so many children still not going school, so many women not going to deliver in clinics, and still so many parents not knowing how best to care for and protect their children, clearly your roles continue to be central”, she said.
She congratulated the mothers for their commitment to the fight against the stigmatisation of HIV positive patients.
Source: GNA