The First Lady of Ghana, Mrs Rebecca Naa Okaikor Akufo-Addo, attended an Organisation of African First Ladies for Development (OFLAD) annual high-level event in the margins of the 79th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) at the Ford Foundation premises on the 24 of September 2024, along with other First Ladies across the continent of Africa.
This is her eighth and final attendance as First Lady before leaving office on the 7th of January 2025.
The event, which was graced by selected dignitaries across the globe with several African First Ladies and occasioned under the theme #WeAreEqual: Amplifying Change Through Collaboration, was launched in June 2024.
The platform was made to advocate for urgent action in advancing gender equity and closing the gender gap in Africa.
In Her Excellency’s speech, she stated that using the platform has enabled her to advocate more strongly for improved access to education, health, and economic empowerment of Ghanaian females.
She achieved this by partnering with many stakeholders to push the agenda for equality. Her Excellency’s accomplishments include being able to expand on three significant initiatives she initiated since taking office in 2017.
These initiatives, including Because I Want to Be, Learning to Read, Reading to Learn Initiative, and Terema, aim to encourage girls to stay in school, promote literacy in youngsters, and boost women’s financial independence.
Her Excellency has also stepped-up advocacy for women’s health and support for Ghana’s maternal and child health services.
Rebbecca Naa Okaikor Akufo-Addo also assured that The Rebecca Foundation will continue to promote #WeAreEqual: Amplifying Change Through Collaboration even as she leaves office in 2025.
She thanked all First Ladies, both past and present, for their friendship, support, and shared experiences over the last eight years.
