2024 Year in Review: The record-breaking Ghanaian women

2024 was a year of many firsts, as it saw many Ghanaians from all walks of life achieving unprecedented feats.

While a record number of Ghanaians took on challenges to break and set records in the Guinness Book of Records, others were silently setting new heights in their fields.

Ghanaian women, known for their industriousness, were not left out in the records that were broken and set in 2024. The year saw Ghanaian women setting records in various fields, including politics, diplomacy, military, and science.

Here are Ghanaian women who set new heights in 2024:

1. Prof Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang:

Prof Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang became the first female vice president-elect Ghana has ever had in the 67 years since the country attained independence. She achieved this feat after her party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), of which she was the vice-presidential candidate, won the 2024 presidential election.

Prof Opoku-Agyemang, a former Minister of Education for Ghana, has broken many records in her political and academic journeys, including being the first female vice-chancellor in Ghana. In 2008, Professor Opoku-Agyemang became the first woman to serve as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast (UCC), a premier academic institution in Ghana.

She is also the first female to be appointed as the running mate of the two major political parties in Ghana - the NDC and the NPP. In 2020, Opoku-Agyemang achieved yet another milestone as the first woman selected as a running mate for the National Democratic Congress (NDC). Partnering with John Dramani Mahama, she became a symbol of progress and inclusion, inspiring countless women to aspire to leadership roles in Ghana’s political landscape.

Her status as the first female vice president-elect of Ghana also makes her the first female vice president-elect of the whole of the West African sub-region.

2. Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey



Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey became the first Ghanaian and African woman to be elected Secretary-General of the Commonwealth of Nations. She was elected Secretary-General of the Commonwealth at the 2024 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Samoa on October 25, 2024, and will assume office in April 2025.

Ayorkor Botchwey is Ghana’s current Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration. President Akufo-Addo appointed her as Minister of Foreign Affairs on January 10, 2017.

She previously served in Ghana’s Parliament representing the people of Anyaa-Sowutuom, a constituency in the Greater Accra Region. She represented the constituency in the 6th and the 7th Parliaments, from January 7, 2013, to January 7, 2021.

3. Prof Nana Ama Browne Klutse:



Prof Nana Ama Browne Klutse made history in 2024 by becoming the first female Full Professor of Physics at the University of Ghana in the 75 years of the university.

Prof Browne Klutse, the current head of the Physics Department of the University of Ghana and a climate change scientist, has set many records in her career. She became the first female to head the Physics Department of the University of Ghana in 2023.

She is also the youngest professor of physics in Ghana and the first Ghanaian to be elected to the UN IPCC (United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) Bureau as the Vice-Chair of Working Group 1.

She is currently a member of the Task Group on Data Support for Climate Change Assessments (TG-Data). She previously worked as the Remote Sensing Manager at the GIS and Climate Centre and as a senior research scientist at the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission.

4. Major General Anita Asmah:



Major General Anita Asmah is the first Ghanaian and African woman to lead a UN Force. Major General Anita Asmah was appointed the Head of Mission and Force Commander of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) in December 2024.

Until her appointment, Major General Asmah was the acting UN Force Commander, a position she held for three months (July to November 2022). She previously served as Deputy Force Commander of UNDOF from 2021 to 2023.

She previously served as the Director-General of the Department of Defence Civilian Establishment in the Ghana Armed Forces. She also served as a Staff Officer in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) from 2015 to 2016, and from 2012 to 2013.

The Major General was a Military Observer in the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) between 2003 and 2004. In addition to her international experience, Major General Asmah has held several senior positions within the Ghana Armed Forces, including Director of Education, Deputy Military Secretary, and Course Director at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre.

5. Paulina Mefia Denteh:

Paulina Mefia Denteh, a medical doctor, also made history in 2024 by becoming the first Ghanaian, African, and female foreigner to receive the prestigious red diploma from the Russian university, Yaroslav-the-Wise Novgorod State University.

Paulina Mefia Denteh achieved the milestone after completing her general medicine programme at the school. This extraordinary achievement marks a significant milestone in the university’s history and serves as a testament to Paulina’s unwavering determination, perseverance, and dedication to excellence.

In a recent Instagram post, Paulina expressed her gratitude and excitement: "Receiving my red diploma from the Rector of Yaroslav-the-Wise Novgorod State University was a truly humbling experience. I am honoured to be the first female black student to achieve this milestone. This journey has been one of perseverance and dedication, and I am excited for what the future holds as I continue to make an impact in healthcare."

Paulina’s journey began at the Methodist Senior High School in the Eastern Region, where she is reported to have displayed exceptional academic prowess, despite the school's limited science facilities.

Felicity Asantewaa:



Out of the many Ghanaian women who made attempts to break records in the Guinness World Records in 2024, Felicity Asantewaa was the only one who succeeded.

She broke the Guinness World Record for the most cars washed by an individual in eight hours after successfully washing 60 cars, surpassing the previous record by five cars.

Her determination and skill attracted crowds of supporters who witnessed her remarkable feat.

In July 2024, the Guinness World Record official website recognised Felicity for her feat, confirming her as the new World Record holder.

BAI/OGB

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