Women Activists From Ghana

"It’s true that my music is not always genre specific, but I always see it as Afro-centric. I will be releasing an album of my own songs later this year (2016) and I will be singing in my local languages of Sissala and Wale as well as English. Some of the songs will sound traditional and local to where I grew up, whilst others will be more mainstream influenced."

"The land is good, the land is fine Gold we have, diamonds we mine Yet we fight; we cover it all in blood Tell me why we wallow in the mud Africa! Africa! Africa!...Mama Africa We cry for peace...Africa! Tell me why you fight...Tell me why we fight"

"There are also amazing female musicians like Wiyaala, whose powerful voice and unique style have left a lasting impression on me."

"Wiyaala is a unicorn and hard worker in the music industry. We are from the North there are not a lot of us in this space so, when you find yourself here, you feel like you have a lot to prove. So, Wiyaala has really fought hard and I'm so proud of her because she gives me inspiration to do what I'm doing."

"I like the way she (Wiyaala) is doing her things because she has been herself and she only has to improve on her music. But her concept and the way she portrays herself is clear indication that she is on the right path."

"Did Wiyaala say churches make unnecessary noise praising God and praying to him? How I wish there is sense in what she’s said. You play your secular music in very loud speakers for people to dance, sing and praise the devil by doing the unnecessary and you have a problem with those who will make a joyful noise unto the Lord? Well, I think you must put some clothes on to be taken serious. GOD FORGIVE YOU."

"I always see Wiyaala on TV. I sing MzVee's songs everyday. Today I am seeing them. I think I am dreaming."

"If Wiyaala came from Funsi and has succeeded, then me too, I can make it."

"Rock My Body, is a sex song but if it comes out people will just put me in a certain category that is not me. I'm versatile. I can sing any style but I really need to start well. If I don't lay the foundations well and I come with the wrong start, that's how the industry will receive her. Rock my body did that."

"I decided to let people know the real Wiyaala. Rock My Body happened because I was trying to join what was trending. That was because I just allowed myself to be influenced by some friends who said 'oh do this because it is trending. It is going to make you [popular]. [So, I said] let's get it [done]'. Deep down I'm not sure."

"You need not copy people blindly, else you will find yourself wanting."

"That is why in my opinion I think you would have to understand [the language in] rap music to enjoy it. Because rap is very similar to talking. If you are a rapper and you went to certain places and they don’t understand what you are rapping about because you are talking to them in a much faster pace."

"I will be as popular as anything in the North but because it’s (Ghana Music Awards) an Accra-based program and most of the radio stations are Accra-based, it is normal that they only hear Accra songs. Most of the DJs don’t understand our songs and a lot of people are not willing to understand our songs."

"If you’re authentic, artificial intelligence can’t kill your career."

"My desire is to see the emancipation of women at every level of development to enable them to contribute and benefit from the socio-economic and political progress of the country"

"I faced tough time with my opponents during my campaign time but that didn't scare me as a woman, I urge all of you (women) to rise up and push the agenda of women’s involvement in decision-making process."

"If you put something on your mind and your heart to do and to change something or situation, do not look back, stay focused and move systematically towards your goal."

"The issue is it’s not how many years you have been there [near power], but that the value that you would bring to the Ghanaian leadership. My value that I would bring to the Ghanaian leadership is about the people, not the leader. As such, what I have done for Ghana is what will show and they would have to judge me on that directly."

"We have to instill in our children a certain traditional way even as we become modernized so that they do not move too far away from who we are as a people. Who is in charge of what our children see and emulate? Education is a tool; your upbringing is your tradition and your life."

"We need to constantly improve on the quality of life and so we need to read as individuals and inculcate the habit of reading to the young ones. We have to encourage the young ones to read but because of the existence of iPads and tablets they are not picking books to read out of curiosity."

"It is only through writing that we capture who we are, where we have come from and where we are going and this must be written so generations yet unborn will know who we truly are."

"Culturally, we refer to nature as ‘asase yaa’ and women are held in reverence spiritually and culturally, so why the disconnect in our contemporary society where women are treated like second-class citizens."

"The upcoming general election (2020 Ghanaian general election) is really not about me or my individuality but about our nation and our future. We should try to refocus our lenses as a people on long term national development visions...We must have the ability to have a collective vision born out of our varied experiences, skills set and unique characteristics to propel the best, bright and most patriotic citizens to advance a nonpartisan agenda for a continuous development."

"You will have a miracle on your hands because I know it when we go out and I feel it."

"It is important for me to open doors for many other women to be there (presidential candidate) at some point or the other. I am making sure that children of this country (Ghana) see women as an absolute part of national development."

"We recognised that for women to be really empowered for development, we needed to make them economically active"

"I am committed to laying the foundations of a prosperous future for Ghana so that all Ghanaians can have the confidence in a country built on a system that rewards their hard work and their sacrifice. I believe in creating a Ghana where mothers and fathers have the opportunity to invest in the future of their children; where Ghanaian genius is rewarded and where meritocracy is paramount. I believe in a thriving economy that creates equal opportunity for every Ghanaian"

"Women's vital role in promoting peace in the family, the country and the world at large is not in question and they must be given the chance to play a critical part in identifying and assessing solutions for the betterment of the country (Ghana)."

"Through my work as both an activist and a politician, I strive to demonstrate that it is our continuing responsibility, as African women, to challenge inequality, resist oppression, and question our exclusion from every level of African society"

"Certainly, we cherish our cultural heritage and the centuries old traditions from which our society derives its identity and resilience. But we also acknowledge that practices that undermine human dignity, retard social progress and bring about unnecessary misery and suffering must not be countenance by a society that appreciates the worth of its people."

"I didn't Join the NDC, I helped Build It."

"Her (Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings) unwavering advocacy on gender equality and equity, as well as her pioneering efforts for the cause of Ghanaian Women and children are worth noting...you are an inspiration to women everywhere and a shining beacon for our young girls to emulate, we celebrate you."

"Yes, she (Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings) has been a very bold lady I can confirm that she's been one of the catalysts that have brought the issue of women empowerment not only in Ghana, but globally."

"She (Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings) was special and she’s still special and for me, it had to be her. It was a privilege for me to be acquainted with her."

"For the past 12 years she has stood by her husband in the struggle to restore Ghana. She has led a group of active women to help empower Ghanaian women, freeing them from being hewers of wood and drawers of water to be[ing] actors in the political arena"

"We can begin by feeding our families especially children with some locally processed cereals and snacks such as "asana", "nkati cake", kube toffee", and "adakoa" which is made from maize, ground nuts and spices and highly nutritious than some processed snacks imported into the country (Ghana)."

"Ghana’s religious adherence to the rules of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank and the World Trade Organization (WTO) will not allow her to make the investments in the form of subsidy to guarantee market or export subsidies to her farmers. More so, she cannot protect Ghanaian farmers from the onslaught of cheap imports by way of tariffs and quotas imposition. So the best way to support these farmers is promoting local domestic processing."

"To cut down on the importation, we need to invest in processing facilities. Alternative, inexpensive but efficient small-scale tomato processing methods are needed: 1) to absorb excess supply and enhance the value chain; 2) Reduce the country’s dependence on imported tomato paste and provide employment opportunities."

"As tomato imports continue to rise in volumes, about 1,250 Ghanaian tomato farmers stand the risk of being pushed out of employment. According to The Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana (PFAG), over 700 tomato farmers have already been rendered unemployed as a result of the imports."

"Yes, while consumers are enjoying their imported pastes, our local tomato farmers struggle to make a living. And it gets worse, our dependence on imported paste plays a role in rendering our farmers unemployed."

"These challenges are creating enormous problems for farmers who are the suppliers of the raw materials. This problem is not only affecting farmers but the country as a whole. Ghana is ranked the second-largest importer of tomato paste in the world, we consume an average of 25,000 tonnes of tomato paste every year and that costs us about $25 million."

"It is very important for us to support scientists here in Ghana. Science, Research, Technology and innovation demands a lot of funding. That is one thing we very much lose sight of because we feel that it takes a long time to get a product or solution so we do not want to invest. But these are core to our development."

"We have what it takes as Ghanaians and scientists to provide solutions that are tailored towards our needs in Ghana. We do not always need to import ideas and technologies that may not even work out for us. It seems that we are good at importing solutions that we feel we need. This is also because we have not been able to look for them ourselves. We are just importing. Sometimes they are even dumped on us. And when we try to apply them on the field or farmers try to adopt them, it does not work. So, it is important for us to develop our own solutions."

"It is a call to duty to play a role in mentoring the next generation. Because science is not an easy field and most people get discouraged along the way. I’m really passionate about doing that."

"I want to inspire girls in STEM to believe that it is possible to pursue a fulfilling career in any scientific discipline."

"It doesn’t necessarily have to be medicine. You know how our parents and the society at large expect that once you are a science student, then the best career option is to be a medical doctor. I respect the medical field a lot but I think this pressure we put on our children to become medical doctors has negative impact on our kids especially when they are not able to make the cut to the medical school. You don’t have to be a medical doctor to become the best that you can be as a science student."

"I did not know whether I would be in the culinary industry or be in marketing of foods. But as a General Science student at Wesley Girl’s High School, I discovered from my interaction with a nutritionist, that food could be studied as a science. So, I could better appreciate food because it goes beyond the aesthetics. There is science to it."

"I have had to jump many hurdles to get to where I am now and it hasn’t been easy as a professional, wife and mother but what keeps me going are the success stories of the food processors and farmers I engage on a day to day basis. They are my inspiration—I love the practical solutions I offer which potentially improves their businesses and livelihoods."

"We as scientists tend to focus a lot more on our research work but we need to figure out a way to promote the outputs of our research. This requires branding and effective communication to consumers and key stakeholders."

"I developed the solar dryer using available materials to process fresh tomato to high-quality tomato powder that can be reconstituted to tomato paste and used in the formulation of food."