Ghana National Union of Queenmothers adopts 2026 action plan at Akuapem retreat

Correspondence from the Eastern Region

The Ghana National Union of Queenmothers has adopted a renewed leadership and development agenda for 2026 following its Annual Review and Strategic Planning Retreat held in the Akuapem area of the Eastern Region.

The three-day retreat, which took place from Friday, January 9 to Sunday, January 11, 2026, at the Mamfe Palace and Flogan Guest House in Dawu-Akuapem, brought together Traditional Leaders from across the country, development partners and civil society actors.

The gathering provided a platform for institutional reflection, strategic planning and consolidation of the Union’s role as a key Advocates, Change agents and Development-oriented Royals at community level.

Discussions focused on reviewing the Union’s activities in 2025, welcoming new members and adopting priority programmes for the year ahead, with particular emphasis on girl-child education, women’s empowerment, and community-based social advocacy.

Sessions were facilitated by representatives of the Obaapa Development Foundation (ODF) Secretariat and Gh-UNIQ members, including Mama Nyuiewaa Nana Amoabea and Mama Fiawotoe. The session highlighted accountability, peer learning and coordinated action among Queenmothers.

Convenor of the retreat, Obaapa Adwoa Ankyaa, also known as NanaHemaa Awindor, Executive Director of the Obaapa Development Foundation and Nkosuohemaa of Afigya-Kwabre, explained that GH-UNIQ, established in 2013, introduced the annual retreat five years ago to complement its Annual General Meeting with deeper reflection, evaluation and bonding.

According to her, the Union has achieved about 80 per cent of its core mission, particularly in social and reproductive health advocacy, including teenage mothers’ back-to-school programmes and sustained campaigns on ending child marriage.

Addressing participants, Akusiako Kumi Sasraku VII, Paramount Chief of the Anum Traditional Area, the Special Guest and Patron of the Union stressed the enduring relevance of Queenmothers in Ghana’s development architecture.

He described them as custodians of culture and pillars of community development and urged them to place girl-child education at the centre of their advocacy, noting that Queenmothers are uniquely positioned to combat early marriage, teenage pregnancy and school dropouts through their moral authority and close ties to households.

The immediate past President of GH-UNIQ, Naana Kabukuor Dagojo Dumaaley I, Paramount Queenmother of Ada, reflected on her four-year tenure, highlighting interventions in early childhood support, menstrual hygiene education and breast and prostate cancer awareness.

She identified funding as a persistent challenge and called for sustained financial support to enable Queenmothers to carry out their voluntary work effectively.

The retreat attracted the support and presence of several distinguished traditional rulers who serve as patrons of the Queenmothers, including Nene Tei Agyemang, Chief of Dodowa; Osabarima Nana Ansah-Sasraku II, Mamfehene and Kyidomhene of Akuapem; Nana Ansah Kwao, Chief of Adumasa; and Akusiaku Brempong Kumi Sasraku VIII, Omanhene of the Anum Traditional Area.

Their participation underscored growing recognition of the strategic role Queenmothers play in governance, social cohesion and development.

Several Queenmothers shared testimonies on the impact of interventions carried out with support from the Obaapa Development Foundation and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), citing reductions in early child marriage and teenage pregnancy in some communities.

Others highlighted initiatives addressing menstrual hygiene, drug abuse, access to water and school infrastructure.

A major outcome of the retreat was the election of new executives of the Ghana National Union of Queenmothers.

After a keenly contested process involving three candidates, Baafuor Odei Adjei, Abontendomhene of the Larteh Benkum Division, emerged victorious, marking a new leadership phase for the Union.

A major highlight of the retreat was a courtesy call on the Okuapehene, OBRƐMPONG KƐSE OSEADEEYO KWASI AKUFFO III, who accepted an invitation to serve as a patron of the Union.

The Okuapehene commended the Queenmothers for their initiative, pledged his support, encouraged them to scale up their interventions, and invited them to support activities marking the upcoming 200th anniversary of the Odwira Festival.

The retreat ended with a renewed commitment by members to strengthen collaboration, deepen community impact and advance the welfare of women and children across Ghana.