UNFPA partners GUBA to celebrate Yaa Asantewaa

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has entered into partnership with the Grow, Unite, Build Africa (GUBA) for the 2021 edition intended to celebrate a centenary of the demise and legacies of Yaa Asantewaa, the Asante Queen Mother of Ejisu and the last African woman to lead a major war against the British colonial powers in 1900.

The awards, according to GUBA, will be heralded with a cultural durbar at the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi on November 7, with the main awards ceremony slated for November 8, 2021 at the Accra International Conference Centre.

A letter from UNFPA to GUBA on the upcoming awards said, “UNFPA recognizes the importance and critical role of women in the development of any nation, and has therefore accepted to partner GUBA for the awards”.

The letter noted that UNFPA, having reviewed the works of GUBA over the years, and realizing the organization’s focus on the resilience of women, promoting greater economic, social and cultural cooperation between Africa and the African diaspora, has been convinced that the collaboration will go a long way to inspire women to achieve more in their fields of endeavor.

“UNFPA delivers a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person’s potential is fulfilled while the girl child is empowered”, the letter said.

Receiving the support, GUBA Enterprise’s President and CEO, Dentaa Amoateng MBE, lauded the partnership between GUBA and UNFPA and said the support will further increase the success of the awards this year.

“This partnership is a great motivation for us at GUBA because we find similar synergies and share similar aspirations in the works of the UNFPA. This support is a big deal for us at GUBA”, Dentaa noted.

2021 marks exactly 100 years of the death of Yaa Asantewaa, the last African woman to lead a major war against colonial powers in 1900, where she played the role of the Commander-in-Chief of the powerful Asante Empire.

These events will observe an important moment in African history, one that is unique to the relations between the Republic of Ghana and the Republic of Seychelles and is expected to host several high-profile personalities from the diaspora.

While celebrating Yaa Asantewaa, the awards will also recognize the contribution of Black women in the diaspora and Africa. The 2021 GUBA Awards will also raise awareness on maternal mortality and call for measures to ensure safe child delivery across the continent.

Attendance

Four British Black female politicians and Members of Parliament are confirmed to be present at this year’s ceremony.

Two of them, Bellavia Ribeiro-Addy, a Labour Party politician who has served as the Member of Parliament for Streatham since the 2019 general election, and Abena Oppong-Asare, a Labour Party politician who was as well elected as Member of Parliament (MP) for Erith and Thamesmead in the 2019 general election are both first female British Ghanaian MPs.

As part of the awards this year, the Rt Honourable Diane Julie Abbot, the first black woman elected to the British Parliament will attend the ceremony with a colleague MP, Dawn Petula Butler, a British Labour Party politician who has been a Member of Parliament (MP) for Brent Central since 2015.

Out of the four, Rt Honourable Diane Julie Abbot will receive the ‘Industrious Woman Honour’ from GUBA for her contributions to the rise of women in the British Parliament and for empowering women in governance.

The confirmation of attendance by the four MPs from the United Kingdom, adds to the tall list of high level personalities who will attend the awards ceremony this year.

In addition, Ghana’s First Lady, H.E Mrs Rebecca Akufo-Addo and the Vice President of Costa Rica, H.E Epsy Alejandra Campbell Barr, would both also be present at the ceremony.

The confirmation from the two high-profile dignitaries, the First Lady and Vice President of Costa Rica, was followed by earlier confirmations of attendance by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

About the Theme

The year 2021 marks a centenary of the death of Nana Yaa Asantewaa, an Asante Queen Mother and the last African woman to lead a major war against colonial powers in 1900, where she played the role of the Commander-in-Chief of the powerful Asante Empire. After the war, Yaa Asantewaa was captured and taken to Seychelles in exile, where she lived until her demise on October 21, 1921. This year, marks exactly 100 years of her transition.

About GUBA Enterprise

Grow, Unite, Build, Africa (GUBA) Enterprise seeks to promote greater economic, social, and cultural cooperation between Africa and the African diaspora through harnessing the power of the African youth to advance the socio-economic interests of the continent.

About GUBA Awards

The GUBA Awards is a non-profit organisation that focuses on enriching the African community in the Diaspora and in Africa with the aim of empowerment and growth. It is an event dedicated to highlighting and rewarding outstanding achievers. As one of the most professionally executed and entertaining events, the GUBA Awards ceremony attracts a high caliber of African political luminaries as well as business and entrepreneurial personalities.