As Ghana joins the rest of the world to mark International Women’s Day 2026, the First Lady, Mrs. Lordina Dramani Mahama, has issued a passionate call to action, urging all Ghanaians to take deliberate steps to advance gender equality and empower women and girls across the nation.
In a statement released to commemorate the occasion, Mrs. Mahama emphasized that achieving meaningful progress requires a collective effort, moving beyond rhetoric to practical contributions from families, communities, and institutions.
“Meaningful progress toward gender equality requires collective effort from families, communities, and institutions,” she stated.
The First Lady encouraged Ghanaians to adopt a hands-on approach to supporting women, suggesting practical measures such as mentoring young female entrepreneurs, advocating strongly for girls’ education, and ensuring equal opportunities within workplaces and communities. She framed this call to action with a compelling message: investing in women yields dividends for the entire nation.
“Always remember that investing in women brings benefits. When women succeed, families flourish, communities thrive, and the nation advances,” Mrs. Mahama said.
Drawing on the nation’s cultural heritage, the First Lady invoked the Akan proverb, “Se wo were fi na wosan kofa a yenkyiri”—meaning it is not wrong to go back for something left behind. She used the proverb as a metaphor for the need to uplift women and girls who may have been marginalized in the country’s development narrative.
Mrs. Mahama highlighted that empowering women across diverse sectors—from market traders in Makola and young tech entrepreneurs in Accra to shea butter producers in the Northern Region—is essential for strengthening Ghana’s overall prosperity.
Acknowledging Progress and Persistent Challenges
While commending the progress Ghana has made in recent years, the First Lady pointed to encouraging trends, including the growing interest and participation of girls in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education, improved support systems for women farmers through cooperatives, and the increasing visibility of women in leadership roles within district assemblies, corporate institutions, and boardrooms.
However, she stressed that significant hurdles remain. The First Lady noted that many girls are still forced to drop out of school, countless capable women struggle to access funding for their businesses, and women’s voices are still underrepresented in key decision-making processes.
To tackle these challenges, Mrs. Mahama highlighted key government initiatives, including the ongoing implementation of the Affirmative Action Bill (Ghana) and the proposed establishment of a Women’s Development Bank by the administration of President John Dramani Mahama. She explained that the bank is expected to provide crucial financial support to thousands of female entrepreneurs nationwide, helping to bridge the funding gap.
A Call for Unity and Communal Support
The First Lady further encouraged Ghanaians to draw inspiration from traditional systems of communal support, such as “nnoboa” (a farming cooperative system) and “susu” (an informal savings scheme), which have historically enabled communities to work together for collective progress.
Concluding her message with the day’s theme, “Give to Gain,” Mrs. Mahama called on the nation to renew its commitment to building a society where every woman and girl has the opportunity to thrive, contribute, and lead.
