
By Dela Ahiawor
A wide majority of Ghanaian women couldn’t be more ecstatic when Prof. Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang was sworn in as the first female vice president of Ghana, alongside President, John Dramani Mahama on January 7 in Accra, Ghana’s capital city, after the December 2024 polls.
No wonder, the occasion carried more momentous significance for Ghanaian women who were highly complimentary about Prof. Jane Naana Opoku-Agyeman; becoming the first woman in Ghana to break through the glass ceiling in Ghana’s political life as vice president.
This is a real story of triumph that resonated with a significant majority of women who needed a reminder that the sky is the limit.
Vice President, Opoku-Agyeman a former university don and professor of Literature, is an inspiration and her success couldn’t have come at a better time. Truth is, after 32 years of democratic practice in Ghana, women are still in the minority in political leadership; despite the fact that women and men have equal rights in a democracy. Definitely, a female attaining the position of vice president in Ghana will boost women’s political participation which will lead to the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls.
Ecstatic educationist, Gifty Gasper expressing hope over the election of Prof. Opoku-Agyemang said: “It will go a long way to change local perception and attitudes about women in political leadership in Ghana. As we progress as a democratic nation, it’s very important that we include more women at the highest level of governance. As an educationist it will be easy for me to reference Vice President, Opoku-Agyemang to the girls in my school as a role model in the bid to encourage them to aim higher.”
With the appointment of Prof. Opoku Agyeman as first female Vice-President, Amnesty International has called on the new Ghanaian government to ensure a significant increase in the representation of women in political and public life. This includes taking all appropriate measures to ensure that women are on an equal basis as men. The government must also ensure that women have the right to participate in the formulation and implementation of government policy and to hold public office at all levels of government.
According to Amnesty International: “In 2024, less than 15% of the 275 members of Ghana’s parliament were women. The Affirmative Action Act, passed in July 2024 and signed into law in September 2024, aims at increasing women’s participation in political, economic and societal spheres to at least 30% by 2026 and 50% by 2030”
Ghana thus becomes the 17th country in Africa to elect a female vice president which definitely gives credence to the unique role of women in reshaping governance in Africa.
Prof. Opoku Agyeman was nominated in 2020 by President, John Mahama as his vice- presidential candidate- making it a first for a major political party in Ghana.
In 2024, President, John Mahama reselected Prof. Opoku Agyeman as his presidential candidate. This time round they were declared winners of the December 2024 polls. This resulted in Prof. Opoku Agyeman becoming Ghana’s first ever female Vice President.
Born November 22, 1951, Prof. Opoku-Agyemang who is 73 years old is the first woman to assume the position of Vice Chancellor in Ghana at the University of Cape Coast from (2008 to 2012). She was also the Chancellor of the Women’s University in Africa ( 2018 to 2024).
She was the Head of the Department of English at the University of Cape Coast, Dean of the Board of Graduate Studies, Founding Dean of the School of Graduate Studies and Research. And also Dean of the Faculty of Arts.
Prof. Opoku-Agyemang was Minister for Education in Ghana for the period (2013-2017). The immediate past President of the Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE) and Chairperson of the Africa Board.
She’s a Fulbright scholar twice and holds a BA (Hons) in French and English, a Diploma in Education from the University of Cape Coast, a diploma in
Advanced Studies in French from the University of Dakar, and an MA and PhD in Literature from York University of Toronto, Canada.
She boasts national and international awards, this includes: Officer of the Order of the Volta (for Academic Distinction) Ghana Women of Excellence Award (Education Category), and Doctor of Letters, University of Cape Coast (Honoris Causa).
Doctor of Humane Letters, Grand Valley State University, Michigan, USA (Honoris Causa), Doctor of Humane Letters, Winston Salem State University, North Carolina, USA (Honoris Causa), Doctor of Laws, University of the West Indies (Honoris Causa), Global Leadership Award, University of South Florida, USA.
Prof. Opoku-Agyemang is a Fellow of the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences and Life Fellow of the Commonwealth of Learning.
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