Akua Dansua is a Ghanaian politician and journalist who served in Parliament for over a decade. She was born and reared in Ghana, and after completing her post-graduate studies in journalism, she was hired as a newspaper’s Chief Reporter. As a reporter for the ‘Weekly Spectator,’ she moved through the ranks to become the newspaper’s Features Editor. She retained this job until entering politics, when she was named District Chief Executive for Kpando during the PNDC rule. She then climbed through the ranks of the cabinet to become the Minister of Women and Children’s Affairs, and then the first female to be appointed Minister of Youth and Sports. She was then promoted as Minister of Tourism following a cabinet reshuffle. She is currently Ghana’s ambassador to Germany. She is also knowledgeable in the areas of communications, women and youth development, local and international governance, and sustainable tourism. She is also a well-known social activist and a strong defender of children’s rights, as well as a key figure in the country’s HIV/AIDS struggle. She has served in Ghana’s parliament for several years and has attended various international conferences throughout the world, continuing to promote her country on the international stage.
Childhood and Adolescence of Akua Dansua
Akua Dansua was born in Hohoe, Ghana, on April 23, 1958, in the Hohoe Municipal District of the Volta Region.
She attended the Kadjebi-Akan Local Authority Experimental Primary and Middle School for her primary schooling. She went on to the Mawuli School in Ho, the Volta Region’s capital, where she completed her secondary school. She graduated from the Ghana Institute of Journalism in Accra with a bachelor’s degree in journalism.
Akua Dansua worked as an Electoral Assistant at the Ghanaian Electoral Commission from 1979 to 1980. Between 1983 to 1987, she worked as the Chief Reporter for the ‘Nigerian Reporter’ newspaper.
She went on to study Communication Studies as a postgraduate student at the University of Ghana in Legon, where she graduated in 1990.
She also graduated from the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration with a Master’s degree in ‘Governance and Leadership’ (GIMPA).
A Career of Akua Dansua
Akua Dansua worked as a journalist for the ‘Weekly Spectator’ newspaper in Accra, Ghana, after graduating. She went on to become the newspaper’s Features Editor, a position she held until she decided to enter politics.
She joined the National Democratic Congress and served as the District Chief Executive of the Kpando District from July 1997 until December 2000.
Akua Dansua was elected to Parliament from the North Dayi constituency in 2001. In 2002, she worked as an election observer for ECOWAS in Sierra Leone, and in 2006, she worked for the Commonwealth in Gambia.
Akua Dansua was named ‘Minister for Women and Children’s Affairs’ in 2009.
She became the first woman to be designated ‘Minister for Youth and Sports’ in January 2010, following a government reshuffle. She held the role until January 2011, when she was replaced as the ‘Minister for Tourism’ by Zita Okaikoi.
Akua Dansua has also worked as a media consultant for the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and as a technical advisor for the National Council on Women and Development.
She was a member of the Parliamentary Press Corps’ executive committee as a journalist. She was the founding head of the West Africa Media Network (WAMNET) and a past vice-president of the Association of Women in the Media (ASWIM).
She currently works as a local advisor for a number of social and non-governmental organizations, including the ‘African Women Development FUND (AWDF).’ She is also a supporter of the Kpando-based NGO ‘Gender and Development Initiatives-Ghana.’
She is a member of the University College Council of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EP), as well as the board of ‘Africa in Democracy and Good Governance’ (ADG).Ghana’s current Ambassador to Germany is Akua Dansua.
Major Projects of Akua Dansua
In 2006, she served as a member of the Commonwealth Observer Team for the presidential election in The Gambia. She was also a key member of Ghana’s parliamentary delegation to the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association’s 37th African conference in Abuja, Nigeria.
She has represented India at a number of notable events, including the world-renowned ‘Fifth International Conference of Women’ in Beijing, China, in 1995, and the 50th Anniversary of Democracy in India in 2003.
Achievements & Awards of Akua Dansua
The Dag Hammarskjold fellow, given by the United Nations Correspondents Association to the most promising African journalist, was awarded to her in 1991.
The ‘Women’s Law and Human Rights Institute of the Art Foundation’ honored Akua Dansua for her leadership role in the country’s growth of women.
Personal History and Legacy
She is currently divorced with three children. Her interests include social work, music, reading, conversations, and internet browsing.
Estimated Net Worth
Estimated net worth of Akua Dansua is unknown.
Trivia
She is an HIV/AIDS, gender, and children’s rights campaigner.