The news of the death of Mrs Gladys Asmah was received with deep grief at the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection on Tuesday, 24th June, 2014.
Mrs Asmah was the first Minister for the Ministry of Women and Children's Affairs (MOWAC), now Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection. She served in that capacity from 2001 to 2005.
Mrs Asmah, after being very instrumental in championing the establishment of the new Ministry, had the arduous task of entrenching MOWAC's position in the governance structure as well as forming a concrete vision and mission into the future.
She worked assiduously to lead the Ministry towards the realisation of its mandate of promoting gender equality and empowering women. This was through the establishment of policies, programmes and projects, including the establishment of the Women's Development Fund, which catered for the provision of micro-credit facilities and agro-processing equipment to women's groups; and provision of alternative livelihood skills training to female head porters and other women's groups.
Being very enthusiastic about getting more women into higher decision-making positions, she and her team of officers of the Ministry toured the country, to encourage and mentor more women to contest in District Assembly Elections, which to her could also be an entry point to Parliamentary elections as well. In addition to these initiatives, she also advocated for and succeeded in getting government to issue the Affirmative Action Policy Directive of giving fifty percent (50%) of the Thirty percent (30%) government appointees at the District Assembly to women.
Mrs Asmah was an epitome of maturity and leadership and has mentored many young women into meaningful livelihoods through technical and vocational training. Her commitment and vocation to women empowerment makes her an integral part of the historic journey of womanhood in Ghana.
She was also the first woman Minister of the Ministry of Fisheries and a former Member of Parliament for Takoradi.
May the Almighty God grant her eternal rest.
