By Evans Worlanyo Ameamu,
Anloga (VR), June 06, GNA-The Anlo Queens Mothers Association, in the Volta Region, has been charged to remain steadfast in their traditional mandate of preserving culture, safeguarding children, and leading community development.
The call came as stakeholders stressed that queenmothers, as custodians of tradition, play a central role in shaping values and driving progress across Anlo communities.
Madam Emmanuella Woelikplim Afetorgbor, the Gender Desk Officer of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), in Anloga District, during a capacity-building workshop made the appeal at Anloga, encouraged the association that their influence as mothers and community leaders gave them a unique platform to promote positive change and social cohesion at the grassroots level.
She explained that the two-day workshop was under the theme “Empowered As One,” and was designed to strengthen the leadership, advocacy, and governance skills of queens to enable them respond effectively to modern challenges while upholding traditional values.
“Approximately seventy participants attended the programme; we used the sessions to deepen the association’s understanding of their positions as agents of peace, love, and sustainable development,” she said.
She stated that the training stressed that queens were not just ceremonial figures, but active partners in community transformation.
Madam Afetorgbor urged the queenmothers to draw on their wisdom and maternal knowledge to promote peace, unity, and progress across Anlo land, while encouraging them to familiarise themselves with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and to integrate the targets into their community projects, especially those related to education, health, and gender equality.
The Gender Desk Officer specifically tasked the queens to champion the rights of boys, girls, women, persons with disabilities, and other marginalised groups, and use their various position to give moral authority to speak up for the vulnerable and ensure no one is left behind in community development efforts.
She said: “Let me emphasised that a queen must always embody boldness, fairness, and firmness, especially when mediating disputes. Impartial conflict resolution by traditional leaders reduces tension and prevents small disagreements from escalating into community-wide problems.”
Madam Afetorgbor further encouraged the participants to take bold advocacy steps on climate change and charged them to mobilise communities to plant more trees and adopt eco-friendly practices.
“Climate change is a permanent reality that demands sustained local action to protect livelihoods and the environment,” she said.
The workshop further highlighted the need for collective action against pressing social challenges while the call for united efforts to combat Gender-Based Violence, teenage pregnancy, child labour, child trafficking, child marriage, and domestic violence, continue to undermine development in many communities.
Mama Wotorbe II of Avuto, the President of the Anlo Queens Association, urged participants to cultivate a strong desire for continuous learning, and stated that effective governance as traditionally leaders require staying informed about laws, policies, and development issues that affect their people.
Mama Amegbe II of Anyanui, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, expressed excitement about the success of the programme and stressed the importance of queenmothers continuous building of leadership capacity to tackle contemporary challenges such as youth unemployment, substance abuse, and cultural erosion.
Mama Amegbe also urged the queens to collaborate closely with their chiefs and other traditional authorities to foster peace and sustainable development in the Anlo State.
The two-day capacity-building workshop was sponsored by the Heart of Ghana Mission and Mission Global Fellowship, which reflected strong partnership support for women’s leadership development in the area.
GNA
Edited by Maxwell Awumah/Benjamin Mensah