Accra, April 23, GNA - Queen mothers Support Association, an umbrella of queen mothers residing in Accra on Wednesday advocated for the setting up of a National House of Queens to supplement the efforts of the National House of Chiefs.
"The National House of Queen, a collective body, would not be in competition with the National House of Chiefs but it would champion gender issues and help tackle chieftaincy disputes," the queen mothers said.
They complained about their low representation at the National House of Chiefs saying that, due to their number, they were not often heard.
They further stressed the need to have one voice to help solve some protracted chieftaincy disputes going on in the country.
The association made this known when they called on the Chief Justice, Mrs Justice Georgina T. Wood on Wednesday at her office. The queen mothers were there to lend their support to the Chief Justice and extend an invitation to her on the associations' first anniversary scheduled for April 26, this year.
Led by Nana Serwa Bonsu, President of the Association and Queen mother of Ofinso Kayera, they also complained of being sidelined by kingmakers adding that, they could offer pieces of advice to kingmakers so that right people who could be chosen.
The queen mothers registered their displeasure over the spate of defilement cases and called for more education on the need to desist from settling defilement cases out of court. According to them, most often parents whose wards were abused turn to collect money from suspects adding the practice had led to abandoning the trial of defilement cases at the courts.
Mrs Justice Wood said the judiciary recognized the capabilities of women in the administration of justice hence the need to involve more women, especially queen mothers in the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) concept embarked on by the service.
The Chief Justice announced that the Judicial Service in collaboration with the World Bank was going to train more queen mothers to enable them to play more effective roles in the ADR concept.
According to her, the ADR concept saved time, was less expensive and less tedious.
Mrs Justice Sophia Adinyira, a Court of Appeal Judge urged the queen mothers to help in the development of rural areas to become more endowed and curb rural urban migration.
Mrs. Justice Henrietta Abban, a Court of Appeal emphasized the need to instil good cultural practices in children in order to maintain discipline among them.
