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Queenmothers have demanded their active involvement in the decision-making process in customary land management in the country.

That, they said, would help improve transparency and accountability in land management.

 "The queenmothers may then benefit from the proceeds from the allocation of land and also take part in deciding the proper use of revenue for the benefit of the entire community," they said at the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) Series on Constitutional Review, on the theme:

“Reviewing Ghana's 1992 Constitution: Viewpoints from the Queenmothers” Platform’, in Accra last Tuesday.

Position
Stating one of the positions of the group, Upiibor Galla Tabasu Linda of the Saboba Traditional Area in the Northern Region said Article 267 (6)(a) reserved "25 per cent of the stool land revenue to the stool for the maintenance of the stool in keeping with its status."

 She, however, noted that the distribution of stool land revenue in the Constitution did not include queen-mothers.

"This is unfair and needs redress.

Queenmothers play complementary roles with their male counterparts.

"They occupy stools which similarly require maintenance and they also incur expenditure to preserve their status as queens and mothers of their communities and carry out their functions," she said.

She, therefore, called for the creation of a chamber of queenmothers at the regional and national levels to ensure their active involvement in issues of national interest.

That, she said, would enhance the mobilisation and engagement of queen- mothers in policy engagements and national development processes. 

Recommendations
Presenting the recommendations of the platform, the Paramount Queen Mother of Assin Atandansu Traditional Area, Nana Abena Gyamfua, said “with respect to the constitutional provisions on the distribution of stool land revenue, there needs to be a constitutional amendment to include queenmothers.”

Moreover, she said a change in attitude of public institutions and public officers was essential, adding that public land sector institutions should be more gender-sensitive and play their part in ensuring the fair treatment of queenmothers.

“They should insist on fair gender representation in their contact and dealings with traditional land-owning groups.

They should ensure that queenmothers and female traditional leaders are represented during discussions on matters involving land and were relevant to traditional authorities.

The public agencies should consider amending their internal procedures to accommodate the gender dimension,” she emphasised.

Nana Gyamfua also stressed the need for qualified queenmothers to be considered for selection and appointment on equal terms with their male colleagues to serve on public boards and commissions.

She said that explicit provision was needed to advance the cause of gender equality.

Review
Setting the tone for the discussion, the President of the Queenmothers Platform, Ghana, Nana Amponsah Dokuah III, made five proposals on some key areas which needed constitutional review.

The areas, she said, were of interest to queenmothers, women, youth and the socio-economic development of the country.

Among other things, she called for the recognition, visibility and legitimacy of queenmothers as traditional leaders, as well as their participation in customary land governance.  

“Our analysis of the 1992 constitutional provisions reveals a distressing case of discrimination against queenmothers and women in Ghana, confirming the existence of gender inequalities within land administration.

“It is evident that women, particularly queenmothers, face significant barriers in accessing and controlling productive resources such as land,” she said.

Regrettably, Nana Dokuah noted that the opportunity for queenmothers to actively participate in customary land governance was severely limited.

Despite the recognition of the need to address gender inequality in land administration through various national and international legal and policy documents, she said many challenges persisted.

“Consequently, it is imperative to enact concrete amendments to the Constitution that not only address these issues in legislation but also promote their implementation in practice.

In addition, it is crucial to highlight the significance of queenmothers assuming the role of acting in the absence of chiefs,” she said.

Granting that authority to queen- mothers, she said, would ensure continuity and stability in leadership, while safeguarding the governance of communities during their temporary absence.

She explained that the creation of the National and Regional Houses of  for Queenmothers would serve as a formal platform for their representation and participation in decision-making processes at the national and regional levels.

“By recognising and empowering queenmothers, we can forge a path towards true gender equality and inclusivity in both customary land governance and broader leadership roles.

Let us work together to champion these necessary constitutional amendments, fostering a more just and equitable society for all,” she said.

Other speakers
The Founder and Executive Director of COLANDEF, a non-governmental organisation, Nana Ama Yirrah, said with the existence of the National House of Chiefs, it was equally important to have such a consultative platform for queenmothers.

She also called for a constitutional framework for the sharing of stool land revenue so that queenmothers would have their share of the proceeds.

The Paramount Queenmother of the Penyi Traditional Area, Her Royal Majesty, Mamaga Hoeftewo, observed that the current Constitution lacked emotional intelligence which was essential for the formulation of policies as a nation.

The General Secretary of the Convention People's Party (CPP), Nana Yaa Jantuah, who chaired the event, said there was the need to ensure that women were included in the House of Chiefs, since in the matrilineal setting, a chief was not enstooled without a queen mother.

"So why are we not in the house of chiefs because we are also chiefs but only females?"

she quizzed.Contributing to the discussion, a Member of the Council of State, Sam Okudzeto, said the essence of the event was to fill the gaps in the Constitution with the aim of improving upon it to enable it to become a workable document for the benefit of the country.

A former Head of the Department of Political Science at the University of Ghana, Dr Maame Adwoa Gyekye-Jandoh, described queenmothers as the doyens of development.