The 2025 Asogli Te Zã (Festival) Women’s Day Celebration has been marked in Ho with a strong call for gender equality and women’s empowerment as key drivers of inclusive development.
The event, held at the Ho Technical University Auditorium, attracted traditional leaders, government officials, and development partners, who commended the Asogli State for dedicating a day within the festival to women.
Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, Vice President Professor, who was represented by Madam Abla Dzifa Gomashie, stressed the importance of building a society, where women and men move forward together with equal opportunities to thrive.
The celebration, themed “Empowering Women for Inclusive Development,” was described by speakers as both timely and powerful, given the central role women play in Ghana’s social, cultural, and economic life.
Mr. James Gunu, Volta Regional Minister said dedicating a platform to women within the Asogli Te Zā festival showed that tradition was evolving to reflect values of inclusion and progress.
“This is more than a festival activity; it is a clear statement that our traditions value inclusion and progress,” he stated.
He noted that in the Volta Region, women contributed significantly to agriculture, commerce, cultural preservation, and family life, yet continued to face barriers such as limited access to capital, gender-based violence, and under representation in leadership.
“These are not women’s issues alone — they are society’s issues, and solving them benefits us all,” he added.
Mr. Gunu urged traditional leaders to continue protecting and uplifting women while calling on men and boys to stand as allies in promoting equality.
He also encouraged women and girls to boldly aspire to leadership roles. “Every voice matters, and every contribution counts,” the Minister emphasized.
He assured participants of the Regional Coordinating Council’s commitment to ensuring that the Volta Region remained a place where women and girls could dream freely and achieve without barriers.
Speakers at the event lauded Togbe Afede XIV and the Asogli State Council for the foresight in elevating women’s roles through the annual festival, saying it was a model worth emulating across the country.
The Women’s Day celebration has become one of the major highlights of the Asogli Te Zã, reflecting the festival’s growth into not only a cultural event, but also a platform for social advocacy and development dialogue.
GNA
